Michigan Fresh:Using, Storing, and Preserving Blueberries (HNI21)
DOWNLOADJuly 10, 2023 - Laurie Messing, Michigan State University Extension
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Food Safety and Storage
- Pick or purchase blueberries that are not bruised or damaged.
- Wash hands before and after handling fresh produce.
- Wash blueberries under cool running Do not use soap.
- Do not wash blueberries before freezing when using a dry or unsweetened type of packing.
- Keep blueberries away from raw meat and meat juices to prevent cross-contamination.
- For best quality and to preserve nutrients, preserve no more than your family can consume in one year.
Yield
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¾ pound = |
2 cups fresh, 1 pint frozen |
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10-pound carton = |
26 cups |
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13 pints frozen = |
a canner load of 9 pints |
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12 pounds = |
a canner load of 7 quarts |
How To Preserve
Canning
Choose ripe, sweet berries with uniform color. Wash 1 or 2 quarts of berries at a time. Drain and stem, if necessary. Prepare and boil preferred syrup, if desired. Add ½ cup syrup, juice or water to each clean jar.
Preparing and using syrup
Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color and shape. It does not prevent spoilage. The guidelines for preparing and using syrups offer a “very light” syrup, which approximates the natural sugar content of many fruits.
Heat water and sugar together, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil and pour hot syrup over raw fruits in hot jars. For hot packs, bring water and sugar to boil, add fruit, reheat to boil, and fill hot jars immediately.
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Preparing and Using Syrups |
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Measures of water and sugar |
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Syrup type |
Approx. % sugar |
For 9-pt load (1) |
For 7-qt load |
Fruits commonly packed in syrup (2) |
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Cups water |
Cups sugar |
Cups water |
Cups sugar |
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Very light |
10 |
6½ |
¾ |
10½ |
1¼ |
Approximates natural sugar levels in most fruits and adds the fewest calories. |
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Light |
20 |
5¾ |
1½ |
9 |
2¼ |
Very sweet fruit. Try a small amount the first time to see if your family likes it. |
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Medium |
30 |
5¼ |
2¼ |
8¼ |
3¾ |
Sweet apples, sweet cherries, berries, grapes. |
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Heavy |
40 |
5 |
3¼ |
7¾ |
5¼ |
Tart apples, apricots, sour cherries, gooseberries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums. |
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Very heavy |
50 |
4¼ |
4¼ |
6½ |
6¾ |
Very sour fruit. Try a small amount the first time to see if your family likes it. |
- This amount is also adequate for a 4-quart load.
- Many fruits that are typically packed in heavy syrup are excellent and tasteful products when packed in lighter The USDA recommends that lighter syrups be tried, since they contain fewer calories from added sugar.
This table is adapted from “Table 1. Preparing and Using Syrups” from Selecting, Preparing and Canning Fruit on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website at https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/syrups.html. That table was adapted from the USDA’s Complete Guide to Home Canning (Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539). Revised 2015.
Hot pack – Heat berries in boiling water for 30 seconds and drain. Fill hot jars and cover with hot liquid, leaving ½-inch headspace.
Raw pack – Fill hot jars with raw berries, shaking down gently while filling. Cover with hot syrup, juice or water, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles; adjust headspace if needed. Wipe jar rims with clean paper towel, adjust lids and process according to guidelines in the following tables.
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Recommended process time blueberries (in minutes), whole, in a boiling-water canner at various altitudes. |
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Style of pack |
Jar size |
0 – 1,000 ft |
1,001– 3,000 ft. |
3,001– 6,000 ft. |
Over 6,000 ft. |
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Hot |
Pints or quarts |
15 |
20 |
20 |
25 |
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Raw |
Pints |
15 |
20 |
20 |
25 |
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Quarts |
20 |
25 |
30 |
35 |
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Recommended process time blueberries (in minutes), in a dial-gauge pressure canner. |
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Style of pack |
Jar size |
Process time (minutes) |
0 – 2,000 ft |
2,001– 4,000 ft. |
4,001– 6,000 ft. |
6,001– 8,000 ft. |
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Hot |
Pints or quarts |
8 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
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Raw |
Pints Quarts |
8 10 |
6 6 |
7 7 |
8 8 |
9 9 |
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Recommended process time blueberries (in minutes), in a weighted-gauge pressure canner. |
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Style of pack |
Jar size |
Process time (min) |
0 – 1,000 ft |
Above 1,000 ft |
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Hot |
Pints or quarts |
8 |
5 |
10 |
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Raw |
Pints |
8 |
5 |
10 |
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Quarts |
10 |
5 |
10 |
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Freezing
Select full-flavored, ripe Remove leaves, stems, and immature or defective berries. Do not wash blueberries before freezing when using a dry or unsweetened type of packing.
Syrup pack – Syrup pack is preferred for berries for cooking. Pack berries into freezer containers or bags and cover with cold 50-percent syrup (1 cup water to 1 cup sugar), leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal, label, date and freeze.
Dry pack – Do not wash blueberries before freezing — washing results in a tougher skinned product. Pack berries into containers, leaving ½- to 1½-inch headspace dependent on container type. Berries can also be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen. Seal, label, date and freeze. Wash before using.
Crushed or puréed – Wash the blueberries. Crush, press berries through a fine sieve, or purée in a blender or food processor. Mix 1 to 1⅛ cups of sugar with each quart (2 pounds) of crushed berries or purée. Stir until sugar is dis- solved. Pack into containers, leaving ½- to 1½-inch headspace dependent on container type. Seal, label, date and freeze.
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Syrups for Use in Freezing Fruits |
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Type of syrup |
Percent syrup* |
Cups of sugar ** |
Cups of water |
Yield of syrup in cups |
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Very light |
10% |
½ |
4 |
4½ cups |
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Light |
20% |
1 |
4 |
4¾ cups |
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Medium |
30% |
1¾ |
4 |
5 cups |
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Heavy |
40% |
2¾ |
4 |
5⅓ cups |
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Very heavy |
50% |
4 |
4 |
6 cups |
*Approximate
**In general, up to one-fourth of the sugar may be replaced by corn syrup or mild-flavored honey. A larger proportion of corn syrup may be used if a very bland, light-colored type is selected.
References
- Andress, E., & Harrison, J. A. (2014). So easy to preserve (Bulletin 989). (6th ed.). University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.
- Blueberries. (2006). (Food Preservation Series). Michigan State University Extension.
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