Berry lovers unite
Join our community for tasty recipe ideas, handy hints, seasonal fun facts and more.
May 13, 2025 in Berry News
How to Keep Blueberries Fresh
If you’re in the mood for a scrumptious blueberry pie to serve for dessert, or are simply whipping up a smoothie to help beat the 3pm slump, there’s nothing worse realising your blueberries have spoiled! If you are not storing them correctly, you may find that your blueberries will go bad before you have had a chance to begin enjoying them.
At Driscoll’s, we know that a punnet of blueberries can do more than just brighten your day! A daily serving of blueberries can also boost your health and wellbeing, not to mention help your skin glow. We explain how you can best store your blueberries so they remain fresher for longer, as well as how to choose the best punnet and when to wash your berries.
Easy tips for keeping your blueberries fresh
There’s no shortage of exciting ways you can enjoy blueberries! However, before you can begin delighting in some delicious blueberry recipes, you need to store your berries correctly so they remain fresh. Follow our easy tips and tricks to keep your blueberries fresh and full of flavour.
How to choose your blueberries
Keeping your blueberries fresh and delicious begins in the supermarket! When selecting your Driscoll’s punnet of blueberries, look for berries that are uniform in their size and are blue in colour. Blueberries with a pink tone means they aren’t as ripe and have been picked prematurely. Before purchasing your punnet, inspect for any bruising, wrinkles or crushed blueberries.
If you see that your blueberries have a whitish appearance, don’t panic! This pale and waxy coating is a natural occurrence called ‘bloom’ which helps protect your blueberries by shielding the skin from insects and bacteria. Bloom is also an indication of freshness.
You may notice that there isn’t a ‘use by’ date on our blueberry packaging. As we have a Quality Assurance Program in place, we work with our distributors and retailers to ensure that your blueberries are as fresh as possible! Your blueberries are picked and packed, then sent to a retailer within a week. After you’ve taken home your punnet of blueberries, we recommend consuming them shortly after purchase.
How to wash your blueberries
After you’ve picked the perfect punnet of blueberries, you may be wondering whether you should wash before storing them. Ideally, it’s best to wash your berries when you are ready to consume them. Washing and then storing your berries can result in them losing their freshness quicker as moisture will shorten their shelf life, not to mention cause them to become mouldy and mushy. To wash your blueberries, place them in a colander and rinse them gently under cold running water. Simply let your berries dry. You can watch our helpful youtube video for more information on how best to store and freeze your blueberries.
How to store your blueberries
We recommend that you keep your blueberries in their original packaging, which provides adequate air circulation to help ensure they stay fresh. Other containers will trap moisture with your blueberries and impact their freshness. It’s best to store your blueberries on the middle or upper shelf of your refrigerator as the crisper draw tends to be higher humidity.
If you would like to freeze your blueberries, avoid washing them prior as it can make their skins tough. Simply pop your blueberries into a freezable container, and keep it sealed and frozen until you are ready to enjoy.
