Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries go bad quickly when exposed to many natural conditions in your kitchen and refrigerator. Moisture is the main reason that fresh blueberries go bad quickly, often within two days if they are not refrigerated.
Proper storage will keep blueberries 2-3 days at room temperature. Freshly harvested blueberries will last for 1-2 weeks in the fridge.
Fresh, Ready-to-eat Blueberries
It's important to refrigerate fresh berries after a grocery delivery, trip to the store or visit to the u-pick farm. You can keep them in the original plastic clamshell or in a covered bowl or container.
Transfer the dry berries to an airtight container lined with a layer of paper towels. Make sure to put them in a shallow layer so that the weight of the berries doesn't crush the ones on the bottom. A layer no deeper than an inch and a half or so is fine.
If properly stored, blueberries can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, though to enjoy them at peak flavor and texture, eat them within a week.
Blueberries may not be good after two weeks as they usually have about ten days storage period in the fridge. However, if you choose to freeze them, they could last up to 6 months.
Moisture is the main reason that fresh blueberries go bad quickly, often within two days if they are not refrigerated.
That white powdery finish found on blueberries is actually a sign of freshness. The white stuff (called the bloom) is the blueberry's natural protection against the sun and if you can see it, it means the berries have been picked in nice, dry conditions.
Proper storage for blueberries is around 0°C, with a relative humidity from 90 to 95% that provides a storage life of 10–18 days [8]. The use of controlled atmosphere in fresh produce transportation is widely applied by producers, to assure the quality of the product and avoid spoilage.
Fresh berries from your local farm taste amazing at room temperature so it's the sooner the better for munching. For long-term storage keep them in the fridge. To avoid soggy or moldy berries, rinse just before eating. Allow peaches, apricots, nectarines and plums to ripen at room temperature.
Blueberries (and other produce) should not be washed as soon as they're brought home. Rather, they should be washed shortly before they're eaten. When you bring home your blueberries, inspect them and discard any that show mold or decay (composted, ideally). Why?
Berries: Fresh berries aren't meant to last long. Leave them out and enjoy them over a few days.
Strawberries should be refrigerated within 2 hours of cutting them. If they are left out for more than 2 hours, throw them away.
Fruits That Should Not Be Stored in the Refrigerator
Apricots, Asian pears, avocado, bananas, guava, kiwis, mangoes, melons, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, pawpaw, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plantain, plums, starfruit, soursop, and quince will continue to ripen if left out on the counter.
So far, the most effective method for a rapid determination of the presence of larvae in fresh blueberries or raspberries and in other berries is the use of a salt solution made up dissolving 1 to 2 Tsps. of salt in 1 cup of water. Suspect berries are submerged on the salt solution for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Dr. Rajapakse says to throw out the ones that look visibly moldy as well as any that might have been in direct contact. "If more than about a quarter of the berries are moldy, you're probably best off getting rid of all of those berries.
The female fly punctures the skin of the blueberry in order to deposit a single white elongate egg. In three to five days, the eggs hatch and the larva (maggot) begins feeding. As the larva feeds and grows, the berry begins to shrivel.
If you're planning to eat or use the berries within a day of purchasing, it's fine to leave them covered on a countertop. Otherwise, storing berries in the refrigerator is the best way to prevent them from going bad quickly.
Why do berries go bad so fast? It comes down to moisture… and mold. Berries tend to be quite porous, water-rich and delicately skinned, meaning they soak up excess moisture in their environment very easily. They also pretty much all carry mold spores, which grow rapidly when moisture is plentiful.
Blueberries
Unless you plan to eat them immediately, there's no need to jump the gun on washing blueberries. These small summer fruits last longest when stored in the back of the refrigerator, and washed just before eating.
Yes, dogs can eat blueberries. Blueberries are a superfood rich in antioxidants, which prevent cell damage in humans and canines alike. They're packed with fiber and phytochemicals as well.
But once you store them, how long do blueberries last? When you store blueberries in the fridge, they should keep for up to a week and when you freeze blueberries, they should keep for up to eight months. Want to keep your other berries fresh? Learn how to freeze and store strawberries.
It's simple really: just give them a quick bath in a vinegar and water solution the moment you get them home, dry them, and place them in a clean container lined with paper towels. The vinegar helps to kill any mold that could cause them to spoil, and this method can make them last as long as 10 days in our house!