When is the blueberry season? Are you berry interested to know? Read and play a quiz to get all the details about these blue treats with TriviaSharp.
Blueberry Picking Season
Given the present advancements in technology, every day is blueberry season. But, if you are planning to harvest blueberries, then late summer to early fall is your best bet. Blueberry bushes consume upto two to three years after planting before they begin to bloom. You can expect maximum production of 6 to 8 pounds of blueberries per year for each bush after six years of planting. Do you know that each blueberry bush can live for 20 years?
When Do Blueberries Ripen?
Blueberries ripen 5 to 7 days after the entire fruit turns blue from pink (Including the base). Blueberries ripen due to ethylene gas. Plastic bags will prevent the development of ethylene by reducing oxygen levels. Therefore, it is always better to sit them out for a week before use.
How Do You Ripen Picked Blueberries?
- A. Pick Them Green
- B. Store in Paper Bags
- C. Store in Plastic Bags
- D. Coat With Salt
When to Pick Blueberries?
The best time to harvest blueberries is when they are 25% ripe. Once the berries begin to ripen, birds and other pesky critters will bombard your garden. Thus, installing a bird net could be helpful but not for long. The thin skin makes them vulnerable to burns and rots, so always pick blueberries in the early morning when they begin to ripe.
How to Ripe Blueberries?
How long does it take for green blueberries to ripe? Zero, unripe blueberries picked when they are white or green will never ripen off the tree.
Put away blue, red, or slightly purple berries in paper bags to ripen. Blueberries are very delicate, leaving them unattended in the sun or rough handling can cause bruises and shorten their lifespan.
How Long Can Blueberries Last in the Fridge?
Believe it or not, blueberries stored in the right way can last up to 1 year in the fridge! So, what is the right way to stock them?
Keep blueberries in paper bags to trap in the ethylene gas that helps in ripening them. If you want to store it for more than a week, then freezing is your best option.
Place the berries in a cookie sheet and freeze, transfer the frozen berries into a container and store them in the freezer. Gardeners recommend using cookie sheets to prevent freezer burns.
Always wash blueberries before use. If you are too keen on washing them before storing them, make sure they are dry.
How to Sweeten Blueberries?
Sweetening your blueberries naturally off the bush is not possible. Berries picked early turn sour, while berries stored improperly turn to be squishy and damaged. Placing sour blueberries in an apple or banana basket can soften them but only sugar and honey can sweeten these blue treats. Blueberries require direct sunlight for growing but only long winters can help in ripening them. Blueberries grown in zone 6-9 are the sweetest.
What Fruits Are Picked While It Is Still Green as They Will Eventually Ripen?
Here is a list of regular fruits that can ripe off the tree:
- Bananas: Pure green bananas and deep yellow ones are the worst. Always shop for bananas that are a mix of yellow and green if you want them to sit on your dining table for a week.
- Avocados: The perfect avocados make the perfect guacamole. Shop for dark green, slightly easy to squish, and avocados with zero bruises.
- Peaches: Feel it. Ripe peaches are full of fragrance and give in slightly when squished. Placing unripe peaches stem down between dish-towels will ripen them.
- Tomatoes: Unrefrigerated tomatoes can ripen a little bit if they are left to sit on the countertop. Find out whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable here.
On the other hand, strawberries, pineapples, citrus fruits, watermelons, and apples won’t ripen after being picked. Did you like what you learned in the ‘When is the blueberry season’ blog? Play the quiz for more!