Blueberries are a sweet and tart fruit that can be eaten raw, in fruit salads, put into smoothies, and baked into pies. The amount of time you can keep blueberries once you get them home can vary. How long do blueberries keep for?
Blueberries can last between seven to fourteen days in the refrigerator. If left out on the counter, blueberries can go one or two days at room temperature. Freezing blueberries will allow them to keep for six months before they should be thrown out.
How Long do Blueberries Last in the Fridge?
The refrigerator is a good place to use to store your blueberries and will keep the berries freshest without having to freeze them. As long as blueberries are in an appropriate and somewhat vented container they will have an average to full shelf life.
Blueberries can last between seven to fourteen days in the refrigerator. It is important to keep the blueberries dry because moisture causes quick decay and mold growth. A vented container is best advised because it allows the blueberries to breath and circulate.
After the end of a week, make sure to check on the blueberries to gauge any kind of bacterial or mold growth. If the blueberries have gone bad then it is time to toss them into the garbage and buy some fresh ones. Overall, a week to two weeks is not bad for the shelf life of a fruit.
How Long do Blueberries Last out of the Fridge?
You don’t have to put the blueberries into the fridge as soon as you get them home. Blueberries can survive outside of the fridge, just not for very long periods of time. How long do blueberries last out of the fridge?
Blueberries can last on the counter for about one to two days before they you should move them to the refrigerator. If you leave them out for too long they will start to decay, become squishy, sour, and begin to mold. If they have been on the counter for only a day or two you can move them to the fridge where they can last for another seven to ten days.
Blueberries are one of the best fruits to keep longer term in the fridge because they hold up pretty well before the decaying process beings. If you don’t have plans to eat them within the week to two week shelf life in the fridge then it may be a good idea to stick them in the freezer.
How Long do Blueberries Last in the Freezer?
If you do end up putting your blueberries in the freezer, make sure to put them into a sealable container. Blueberries can last a long time in the freezer if they are stored correctly. How long do blueberries last in the freezer?
If you freeze your blueberries they can last about six months. Make sure that they are in a sealable container to keep them fresh. It is also important to not put them in the freezer wet as the frozen water can damage the integrity of the blueberries.
As long as you properly thaw the blueberries out from their frozen state, they can be added to any recipe or eaten alone as is. Frozen blueberries keep really long and make great fruit replacements in smoothies, pies, and fruit salads.
Shelf Life of Blueberries
Blueberries have a definitive shelf life whether in the fridge, freezer, or on the counter. It is important to store this fruit correctly to get the most shelf life from the possible. Bringing home blueberries from the store may be different than picking fresh blueberries in how long they will last. Store-bought blueberries usually have a sprayed on wax coating that keeps them fresher for longer in the fridge.
How Long do Fresh-Picked Blueberries Last?
Since fresh-picked blueberries do not have the wax protective coating like most store-bought produce, they do not last as long. Fresh blueberries should be sorted immediately upon arriving home and put into appropriate containers. If you decide not to use them all or eat them all right away, you can save them for another time.
Fresh-picked blueberries will last for about a day or two on the counter at room temperature. The refrigerator can keep fresh-picked blueberries good for about seven days. If you need to keep them fresh longer then the freezer is the best bet and can keep the blueberries fresh for three to six months.
Conclusion
If you found a great deal on blueberries and brought them home, there are several different ways to make them last. Just how long do blueberries last? It depends on if you leave them out at room temperature, or put them in the fridge or freezer.
If you put your blueberries in the fridge they can last between seven to fourteen days. If you leave the blueberries out on the counter, they can last one or two days at room temperature. Freezing blueberries makes them last the longest and can keep them fresh between three to six months.
