The Wasteful Mistake You Can Avoid With Fresh Blueberries

Blueberries may be small, but they sure pack a punch. With a ton of health benefits, including vitamins C and K and antioxidants, it’s hard not to resist a pint of fresh blueberries for snacking or baking, especially during the summer. However, no matter how irresistible they may be, most of us tend to make the mistake of discarding berries that are underripe or overripe. Many people don’t realize that those small, tart berries — and even the plump, mushy ones — actually have a lot of potential in the kitchen.

Blueberry expert Sally Vargas, author of “The Blueberry Cookbook,” suggests that the berries we typically throw away should be used in recipes, especially those that blend or melt them. They may not taste great on their own, but those sad-looking berries still possess some nutritional value and flavor once they’re given a little extra attention. For home cooks and bakers looking to minimize waste in the kitchen, blueberries are a great way to start.

When you find yourself with a berry that isn’t quite ripe, one of the best tips out there is to freeze it for a later baking project. Frozen blueberries should be a staple for smoothie lovers, and green blueberries work just as well in recipes that call for frozen berries, like this blueberry avocado smoothie, or these fun blueberry lavender honey popsicles. They also work well in quintessential baked goods, like blueberry muffins or blueberry pie.

If you prefer to keep your berries fresh, you can always try ripening an unripe berry on its own, even after you’ve picked it. Vargas recommends leaving unripe berries out at room temperature for a day or two; while there’s no guarantee they’ll ripen this way, it’s worth a try.

Overripe berries are a different story. If you pick them at the right time, you can freeze them, but if they’re too soft, they likely won’t freeze as well as underripe or overripe ones. In this case, cook down the bitter berries to make a sweet compote or jam—just make sure they’re not moldy or completely mushy. Since overripe berries typically lose some of their sweetness, Vargas also suggests adding lemon or lime juice to the mix to bring back some of the flavor they’re missing. However you decide to use your imperfect blueberries, you’ll feel good knowing none went to waste.