Blueberries don’t ripen after picking If you want to make the most of your time and money, make sure to pick them when they’re ripe. Please make sure the berries are a deep purple color before selecting them for purchase. They should be plump and squishy with no hard or soft spots.
Blueberries come in two varieties: highbush and lowbush. Lowbush blueberries grow wild in the eastern part of North America, while their cousins live on the West Coast. Highbush berries prefer to be grown in cooler climates with a long growing season. The best way to tell if your blueberries are ripe is by looking at them! If they look like a deep purple color or black, then you can eat them right away; otherwise, leave them on the bush for another day or two until they turn that deep shade of purple.
This blog post will discuss how to harvest, store and handle blueberries after picking.
When to Harvest
It’s important to know what type of blueberry bush you are harvesting. Blueberry bushes come in two types: highbush (Vaccinium corymbosum) and lowbush (Vaccinium angustifolium). Lowbush varieties produce berries earlier than Highbush, but both need cooler temperatures at night before they will ripen properly. Most people say that low bush varieties should be harvested about two weeks after the fruit color has changed when it comes to harvesting.
Blueberries should be harvested from late July to August. They turn blue or purple before ripening, which will result in sweeter tasting berries that fall easily off of bushes when picked. Ripe berry can also stay on the vine longer if left alone.
How to Ripen
If you find your blueberries are a bit too early and they’re slightly green, red, or purple, you may be able to ripen them by placing the bagged fruit on its side. Keep at room temperature with regular window light exposure but avoid direct sun. Store in a dark, cool area until the desired level of sweetness is reached- typically 1–2 weeks depending upon conditions such as air humidity levels, etc.
How to Handle After Picking
It’s late in the season, and you’re still picking blueberries. You’ve got a big bucket of them, but now what? The best thing to do is to store them properly, so they don’t go bad.
If you have room in your fridge for more produce, pop the berries into an airtight container with some moisture-absorbing packets or paper towels to help keep up their freshness. However, if space in your fridge is limited or nonexistent, you can freeze the berries instead. This will preserve them for later use this winter.
Read more here:
Different Types of Blueberries
Blueberries and Grapes – Do they go together?
Blueberries Growing Guide – Do Blueberries Need Full Sun?
Blueberries and Kiwis – Do they go together?
Blueberries Growing Guide – Do Blueberries Grow on Vines?
How to Freeze Ripe Blueberries
If you want to keep blueberries for longer than 10-14 days, they should be frozen. Freezing unwashed blueberries may help their skins soft and prevent molding in storage, which can cause food spoilage – especially with acidifying fruits such as oranges or lemons.
Be sure not to wash these before freezing; just put on some paper towels, then air dry completely, so all excess moisture has evaporated away first, or else there’ll end up being more wrinkly berries.
Final Word
Blueberries are delicious and relatively easy to grow in your backyard or on a small farm. You can harvest them, store them, freeze them or eat them right away. They make for great snacks when you’re out exploring the outdoors.