13 Ways to Use Up and Preserve Fresh Blueberries

Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits to have on hand.  They make everything better.  The trouble is that they are so stinkin’ expensive most of the year.  So, when the are in season, I like to put them up, enjoy them, and basically use them in everything I make.  Yep, I like them that much.

Preserving

1. Make jam.  Try my blueberry lemon jam recipe or for something a little different, but still equally delicious, make my Blueberry Vanilla Chia Seed jam.    You can even use a big ol’ Coscto sized bag of frozen berries for this one.
2. Freeze them.  To freeze them, rinse them and let them dry completely.  Lay them on a Silpat or Parchment paper lined cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer {this step prevents them from sticking together during the freezing process}.  When they are frozen to the point of being nice and firm, transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container.
3. Dehydrate them.  Just place them in a single layer into your dehydrator, and check until done {I’d give you a time, but I swear it’s different everytime I dehydrate them}.  Then, you can toss them into homemade granola.  Yum!

Ways to Enjoy Them Fresh

1. Make muffins.  Blueberry muffins scream “I have taste buds and I am not afraid to use them.”  Okay, so maybe they don’t, but they are delicious and they should be eaten regularly.
2. Throw them in your smoothie.  Pretty much any combination will do, but The Girl has come up some pretty amazing combos if you want a starting point.
3. Toss them in your oatmeal.  Since the HH eats oatmeal weekly, I like to get creative and deliver him a friendly dose of antioxidants when he’s least expecting it.
4. Toss them into salads.  They taste great in spinach salad.  If you are a little more adventurous, you can try a Roasted Corn with Blueberries, Jicama and Avocado salad.  It’s sweet and savory.
5. Sprinkle them on your morning waffles or pancakes.

Desserts

1. Make blueberry ice cream.  It’s one of those flavors you wouldn’t typically find in the store, and would pay a premium for at a specialty ice cream parlor.  Lucky for you its crazy easy and inexpensive to make.
2. Make an Old Fashioned Blueberry Crisp.  For the record, I am not exactly what makes this old-fashioned, but just go with it.
3. Bake them into a pie.  I personally like this Blueberry Custard Pie recipe, but any fruit pie recipe will work.
4. Pretty much any berry can be made into a cobbler.  Blueberry peach cobbler is one of my favorite combos.
5. Whip up a blueberry buckle or blueberry scones or blueberry buttermilk cake for your next brunch.  Just have a speech prepared for when people want to hand out a major award for your sweet kitchen skills.

What’s your favorite blueberry recipe?

~Mavis