The ingredient library
Blueberry
Small berries with a sweet-tart flavour. Enjoy their texture fresh, or explore the different character of cooked fruit and prepared blends.
A small fruit, many ways to enjoy it.
Blueberries are an easy flavour to explore through an everyday breakfast or snack. Taste the fruit before deciding what to pair with it: sweetness and acidity vary. Whole berries, a spoonful of cooked fruit and a blueberry drink each offer a different texture and balance.
Find your format.
Fresh berries
Keep chilled and wash just before using. Try a few on their own before adding them to a familiar bowl or plate.
Frozen berries
Useful when a recipe calls for frozen fruit. Follow the packet's preparation instructions, including any requirement to cook before eating.
Dried fruit, preserve or drink
Check what supplies the blueberry flavour and whether sugar or other fruits have been added. Choose for the texture and use you want.
A place to start.
Start with your usual breakfast
Set aside a small portion of the cereal, porridge or yoghurt you already enjoy. Choose berries in a form suited to that preparation.
Prepare the fruit
Rinse fresh berries just before serving and remove damaged fruit. Prepare frozen or packaged fruit as directed on its label.
Notice the contrast
Taste the berries with the rest of the bowl before adding sweetness. Keep a note of the combination you would like to make again.
Fresh and frozen need their own approach.
Let the recipe and packet guide the preparation. If you want whole berries as a topping, choose a product suitable for that use; if you want a sauce, use a recipe written for cooked fruit.
What to look for.
Choose intact fruit
Look for sound berries and check the bottom of the container for crushed or mouldy fruit.
Store fresh berries dry
Refrigerate fresh berries and leave washing until you are ready to use them. Handle gently to avoid crushing.
Compare the same format
A dried berry, a preserve and a bottled blend are different foods. Compare ingredients and serving information within the format you need.
Find a moment for it.
Bring the ingredient into an ordinary part of your day.
Explore products with blueberry.
Read the full ingredients and preparation details on each product.
Keep exploring.
Juicy stone fruit with flavours ranging from sweet to distinctly tart. Begin with the cherry type, then choose the preparation.
Gentle sweetness with textures from crisp to tender. Get to know the pear variety before choosing how to enjoy it.
Further reference: University of Minnesota Extension: blueberry harvest and storage.