For The Most Colorful Blueberries, Frozen Is Always Better. Here's Why
The mention of blueberries may invoke a particular memory — perhaps it's of berry-topped waffles or freshly baked muffins. Blueberries might even be a staple in your everyday oatmeal. Yet blueberries are also one of the greatest superfoods to ever grace our snack table. Low in sugar, full of antioxidants, and packed with fiber, the blueberry is a humble yet powerful fruit that has been proven to keep us healthy time and time again.
Whilst blueberries are wonderful fresh, they can also turn mushy in the blink of an eye. To enjoy that sweet-berry moment for even longer, you could consider freezing your berries or buying them frozen. Frozen blueberries also let us enjoy these magnificent fruits out of season. Yet longevity is not the only gift frozen blueberries give. Freezing also helps to sustain that intense violet hue that gives the blueberry its name. If you're wondering how that's possible, then we've got the science below to convince you.
Why frozen blueberries are a color dream
Freezing food can have an adverse effect on color and that's a major no-no if you're using ingredients for their bright shades. You may have noticed when biting into a blueberry, that the color inside is more translucent yellow than purple, and that's because the purple coloring of a blueberry is actually found in the skin. The color itself comes from organic pigments called anthocyanins, which are found in blue, red, or purple fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, blueberries, or grapes.
The anthocyanin content of the blueberry increases as the fruit ripens. According to Science Daily, researchers at South Dakota State University found that once blueberries are frozen, the levels of anthocyanin in the skin can actually increase even more, so no color is lost. This is also championed by executive chef Matt Wynn who told Food & Wine that freezing blueberries actually "makes their blue color shine." So you know it's been tried and tested in the kitchen as well as a lab.
How to make that blue color sing
Now that you know that a frozen berry's color will be popping, you can expect to make some eye-catching dishes that everyone will be asking about. Our first suggestion would be to use frozen blueberries in your morning smoothie. Not only will a smoothie show off that deep, purple color, but it'll also be much colder than making it with fresh berries. Impressive and refreshing!
Another popular idea is using frozen blueberries in baking. However, before you throw frozen berries into your muffin mix, make sure you know how the extra water will impact your batter. Another great suggestion is mixing frozen berries into pancake batter, try it here with the pancake ice cube tray hack. If you want to keep it simple and eat frozen berries straight from the bag, make sure you check that the berries are cleaned before they are frozen. But soon even this may not be necessary as the FDA is developing a prevention strategy to ensure the safety and cleanliness of fresh and frozen berries nationwide. Now you've got blueberries down, you'll realize that this is only the tip of the (fruit) iceberg!