When blueberries are on sale for $1 a PINT, of course I’m gonna buy a few extras…and by a few, I mean 9!
Yes, I bought 9 pints of blueberries last week!
I tossed 1 pint into the week’s fruit salad. The other pints I froze…just like the raspberries. I rinsed and dried them, and then laid them out in baking dishes and put them into the freezer.
Once frozen, I transferred them into quart size freezer baggies. I plan to use them for smoothies, pancakes or muffins.
Stockpiling fresh fruits is possible, and I highly recommend it…especially on a deal like this one! I’m not sure that I’ll see such a great price on blueberries for a while, but I’m glad to be all stocked up on blueberries.
Karen says
Can I ask why you freeze them in a baking pan first?
Erin says
In the event that a few were sticky…so they wouldn’t get clumpy in the baggie!
Mama Bird says
YUM! I wish I would have come across this deal! I would have bought about 20 of them…we eat a ridiculous amount of blueberries.
If you are looking for a great blueberry muffin recipe with no refined sugar (great for kid snacks!), check this out.
It’s my fave muffin recipe and I’m about to make some right now. They are super easy too.
http://flyawayfamily.com/blueberry-muffins-dairy-egg-free/228
jan says
come mid-winter, you can make blueberry jam in the crockpot and feel like the winter isn’t forever. I made mine in March cooked with lavender. Blueberry-Lavender Jam (when it can be found) is way over the budget.
Megan says
I saw blueberries on sale at my local store this week for .88. I almost fainted. The only downfall is the limit is 6. Looks like I’ll be making 2 trips there this week.
caroline says
Thanks so much for the fruit salad idea a few weeks ago. I’ve made a fruit salad every 3-4 days just like your suggestion. And the whole family loves it! It is a quick and easy snack instead of having to cut the fruit each time. Thanks!!
Merrilee says
Yeah!. Blueberries were on sale for $3.50 for 2 lbs ;last week – that’s cheaper than I can get them at the U-Pick & a lot less work. (They are still much cheaper than buying them frozen too.) The ones I bought were SO sweet & delicious. They were yummy! They have more on sale this week – $7.50 for 5lbs. They just weren’t as tasty – but they will still work in pancakes, muffins, etc.
If you freeze blueberries on a cookie or baking sheet, it’s called flash freezing. They freeze quicker and each berry freezes individually. Most people wash & then freeze. If you put freshly washed blueberries in a ziploc bag straight into the freezer, you will get massive clumps. Flash freezing you can get individual berries, you won’t need to defrost them & you can just take out how much you need.
Kristine says
We do this too! I grew up with my Mom freezing berries and other garden produce. My Nana does this as well. It’s a savings as well as a treat in the wintertime. So far we’ve frozen fresh picked strawberries & blueberries. I’m hoping for other berries & maybe some peaches.
Lori says
Where are you guys finding them this cheap??? I never see them this low at my local stores!
Erin says
Kroger…SW Ohio…I never have seen them this cheap either! Keep your eyes peeled!
Crista says
Mmm, yum! I do the same thing, but I’m hoping to get some fresh-picked straight from hubby’s aunt & uncle in Michigan! I have a couple of bags already in my freezer from store sales too. I don’t wash mine first though – I’ve heard it makes them not as good when you use them. I just pick through them, freeze, and when I’m ready to use, give them a rinse in the colander and throw into whatever I’m making. It’s worked so far! I’m a firm believer in stockpiling stuff in season, I have a few gallon bags of fresh-picked strawberries too!
Jessi says
I’m so jealous! I’m with Lori on this one….where are you guys getting them so cheap?? I’ve never seen them even close to being that cheap before.
The Prudent Homemaker says
I have never seen blueberries for less than $3.99 a pound. That is a fantastic price!
My children LOVE blueberries; they are their absolute favorite fruit. The cheapest way for me to do it is to buy them already frozen, on sale with a coupon. Smith’s here has them on sale often, and once in a while they send me a coupon for them.
Megan says
Henry’s Markets (http://www.henrysmarkets.com/h/home/) It’s my favorite store. They have the best produce and prices I’ve ever seen.
Frugal Friend says
A few months ago, Target had $1/pint. That is the lowest I’ve seen. If it wasn’t for this humid hot weather we’ve been having, we would have gone berry picking. They are $1/lb here in the FL Panhandle/ lower Alabama area, and $0.50/lb in some farms.
Merrilee says
I got mine from Fred Meyer (a Pacific NW store in the Kroger family), but the berries were all fairly local (from within our state).
Mary says
I’ve seen blueberries, rasberries and strawberries for 99 cents at a store called “99 Cents Only” (along with other great fruits and veggies). There are many 99 cents stores but this one is excellent. There’s one by where I live in Chandler, AZ on Warner and Alma School Road. Great tip for freezing them and saving them for later!
Justin says
We love to freeze as many blueberries as possible. They are incredible on or in pancakes and make for incredible smoothies. We can’t get enough blueberries this time a year.
Cheryl Smith says
I do the same thing. Aldis had blueberries and strawberries both for $.99. I bought 6 of each. Mangos for $.49 and cantalope for $.99. Great buys. Love it when fruit is that cheap.
Serenee De Vito says
What about freezing strawberries, is it best to wash them first and lay them out on a cookie sheet to freeze also?
sandy says
I see alot of you flash freeze that is what I do also. Afterwards I break down the blueberries, & blackberries into snack bags, I get about 6 of them into a qt ziploc hopefully to keep freezer burn down. Has anyone tried to put them into the foodsaver bags after the fruit has been flash frozen? I havn’t tried that, though I do alot of other items.
sandy
Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says
Great idea Sandy!!!
And I’ve never tried the foodsaver bags…not something I have invested in!
Erin
Missy says
We pick fresh blueberries almost every summer. We just picked some a couple of weeks ago. I take a plastic ice cream bucket to fill, then it goes straight to the freezer. I was told that if you wash the berries first the skin becomes tough. When I want some berries I just take out the amount I want (they are all individually frozen in the bucket), place them in a strainer and run cold water over them until they soften a little. This gives them a good wash and helps to begin the thawing process. Then I put them in whatever recipe I’m making and cook. I like using the bucket better than individually packaging them because I can use only what I need for each recipe and I don’t like stacking all of those bags in the freezer. ; )
This is my first visit to your site, and I like the abundance of useful information you have here. I’m going to bookmark it and visit again!
Blessings,
Missy