Recipes Using Dried Blueberries - Food Prep Guide - Preserving & Storing Food (2024)

FAQs

Should dried blueberries be refrigerated after opening? ›

6. Dried Fruit. Dried fruit has less moisture than fresh fruit, so it doesn't spoil as quickly, but refrigeration can help it maintain its freshness longer. Keep it in the main compartment of your refrigerator for up to six months.

Dried blueberries are wonderful in slices, cakes, muffins, desserts, trail mixes or eaten straight from the palm of your hand! Use dried blueberries wherever you'd use dried cranberries, sultanas, raisins or currants.

Freeze-dried blueberries offer a delicious and convenient way to eat this wholesome fruit.

The key to prolonging the shelf life of dried fruit is storing it in an airtight container. An airtight seal prevents moisture from getting inside and will keep bacteria at bay. After opening the package, putting the bag of dried fruit in the refrigerator or freezer will dramatically increase its shelf life.

Store in airtight container at room temperature for a month, if they last that long! For larger batches, place tightly wrapped rolls in a storage container or bag in the freezer for up to 1 year. So many store-bought dried fruits are loaded in sugar!

Look for resealable packaging and store packages in airtight containers or in a freezer to preserve freshness and prevent contamination from insects. Dried fruit is an easy food to have and eat in an emergency.

Dried blueberries should be stored in vacuum packs, at room temperature and in a dark place.

If the colour looks very dull or faded, or if there are patches of mould growing, then you know it's time to throw it away. Similarly, if the smell is off or you notice an unpleasant odour coming from the bag, this is a sign that your dried fruit has gone bad and should not be eaten.

There is no set recommendation for how many dried blueberries you should eat per day. However, a handful of dried blueberries (about 1/4 cup) is a good amount to add to your daily diet.

(Traditionally, the berries were pounded, including the seeds, to a pulp with a formed rock). Form the pulp into patties, cover them with cheesecloth and lay them out to dry, turning occasionally. (Traditionally, they were dried in the sun). This process takes about two days.

How long do dried blueberries last? ›

One can generally expect properly stored dried blueberries to maintain their best quality for 12 to 18 months, with the potential to be safe for consumption for even longer if kept in ideal conditions, such as a cool, dry place, or frozen.

Dried fruit, for example, tends to be chewy and sweet because it is still holds about a third of its original water content. On the other hand, fruit that is freeze dried contains little to no moisture content at all. This allows foods that are freeze dried to have a crispy, crunchy texture.

While freeze drying involves much lower temperatures, drying requires hotter conditions (125° F to 140° F) to effectively remove water from each fruit. Because dehydrated fruit still contains about 20% of its moisture, it has a chewier texture.

While a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries comes in at 85 calories and 14 grams of sugar, half a cup of the dried version has more than triple the number of calories and nearly double the amount of sugar! Thus, eating frozen blueberries may edge out on eating the dried kind.

It is generally safe to soak dry berries overnight and eat them in the morning. Soaking dry berries can help rehydrate them and make them easier to digest. Some people also find that soaked berries are sweeter and more flavorful.

Soaking dried berries overnight can improve their flavor and make them more digestible. For best results, soak them in water or juice first. If you're soaking them in water, you can eat them right away, but if you're soaking them in juice, you'll want to store them in a covered container in the fridge for later.

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

They both have the same antioxidant value. They both provide the same amount of fiber. A serving of dried blueberries has 150 calories while a serving of fresh has 80. A serving of dried blueberries has 27 grams of sugar while a serving of fresh has 13.