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Blueberries ripen from mid- to late summer. The "Bluecrop" season lasts a month however turning blue is not a sign of ripeness. Most Blueberries turn blue one to two weeks before they're ready to pick and the berries don't ripen all at once. . Once the fruit have ripened they are harvested by hand due to the fact that they are easily damaged. However, with the invention of the blueberry rake, if they are to be further processed for jams etc., they can be harvested by machine. They must be fully ripe when harvested, as they do not continue to ripen after they have been picked.
Buying and Storing Blueberries
Blueberries are available in many forms including tinned, dried, frozen and fresh.
Fresh blueberries
Fresh blueberries are in their
prime from late June through August. Select berries that are firm dry, plump,
smooth skinned and completely blue, with no hint of red and check carefully for
any mould or damaged berries. Blueberries are often coated with a light white
coating called "bloom" which is not harmful and actually helps prevent
deterioration. As water on the fruit accelerates deterioration, do not wash them
until you are ready to use them. Store them in the refrigerator, unwashed, in a
rigid container covered with clingfilm where they should last up to two weeks if
they have been freshly-picked. Frozen blueberries
Blueberries are excellent for freezing as once thawed they are only slightly
less bright and juicy as in their original harvest state. When freezing at home,
do not wash them before freezing as this causes the skins to toughen. To freeze
for eating in their raw state, place them in a rigid covered container and cover
with a syrup made from 4 parts water and 3 parts sugar then freeze. To freeze
for future cooking, place the berries in a rigid covered container with one inch
of head space for expansion. Rinse after thawing and before eating. Crushed or
pureed blueberries should be frozen with the addition of approx 200g/7oz sugar
to each 450g/1lb of fruit. Frozen blueberries will keep for a year. Dried berries are also available and should be stored similar to raisins i.e. in a cool, air-tight container.
Blueberries in Cooking
Generally speaking, you can use these in any way that you might use blackcurrants or cranberries. They lend themselves for use with spices such as cinnamon, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg and ginger. and combine well with other fruit such as apples, pears and other berries as well as savoury items such as cheese, poultry and meats.
Blueberries sometimes change colour when cooked in certain recipes especially ones containing acids such as lemon juice and vinegar which cause them to turn reddish or in an alkaline environment, such as cake mixtures with too much bakingsoda which sometimes make the berries take on a greenish tinge. To reduce colour streaking, stir blueberries (unthawed, if frozen) into the mixture as late as possible before cooking. However, as a general rule, blueberries will not bleed their colour unless the skin has been broken. Remember, when substituting frozen blueberries in recipes, the cooking time may have to be increased slightly to be sure the berries are heated through.
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