How long do blueberries last?
Fresh: 1-2 weeks in the fridge, 8-12 months in the freezer for best quality and keeping it in the pantry is not recommended.
| State | Pantry | Fridge 40 °F | Freezer 0 °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh | Not recommended Extension | 1-2 weeks FoodKeeper Extension | 8-12 months best quality FoodKeeper Extension |
Sources compared
| Source | State | Pantry | Fridge | Freezer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USDA FSIS (FoodKeeper) 2018 | Fresh | - | 1-2 weeks | 8-12 months |
| Nebraska Extension | Fresh | Not recommended | 1-2 weeks | 8-12 months |
A dash means that source gives no time for that place.
Handling and freezing notes
- “Blueberry. Since climacteric fruits continue to ripen after harvest ... ripen at room temperature and then refrigerated to extend their life.” Extension
- “Select full-flavored, ripe berries. Remove leaves, stems and immature or defective berries.” Extension
- “Do not wash blueberries. Washing results in a tougher skinned product.” Extension
- “Berries can also be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen ... Wash before using.” Extension
- “Mix 1 to 1 1/8 cups of sugar with each quart (2 pounds) of crushed berries or purée.” Extension
What the sources say
Blueberries keep 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator from the date of purchase in FoodKeeper, which lists no pantry time for them.1
Frozen, they keep 8 to 12 months by FoodKeeper's count.1
The Nebraska Extension chart matches both of those numbers and says room temperature is not recommended for blueberries.2
Iowa State University Extension puts the blueberry on its list of climacteric fruits, which continue to ripen after harvest, and advises letting such fruits ripen at room temperature before refrigerating them to extend their life.3
On room temperature, that advice differs from the Nebraska chart.32
For freezing, the National Center for Home Food Preservation asks for full-flavored, ripe berries with leaves, stems and immature or defective berries removed.4
Its dry pack skips washing, because washed blueberries freeze into a tougher skinned product, so the berries are washed before use instead.4
They can be frozen first on a tray and packed into containers as soon as they are frozen.4
Crushed or puréed blueberries get 1 to 1 1/8 cups of sugar for each quart, which is 2 pounds of berries.4
Rules that apply here
Related foods
Sources
- USDA FoodKeeper data v128, product 254: Blueberries. USDA FSIS (FoodKeeper). Dated 2018-09-06. Checked 2026-10-24. Blueberries. DOP_Refrigerate: 1-2 Weeks; Freeze: 8-12 Months
- Home Food Storage | UNL Food | Nebraska. Nebraska Extension. No date on the page. Checked 2026-10-24.
Blueberries Not recommended 1 to 2 weeks 8 to 12 months (freezing blueberries)
- Ripening and Storing Fruit • AnswerLine • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Iowa State University Extension (AnswerLine). No date on the page. Checked 2026-10-25.
Blueberry. Since climacteric fruits continue to ripen after harvest ... ripen at room temperature and then refrigerated to extend their life.
- Freezing Blueberries or Huckleberries - National Center for Home Food Preservation. National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia). No date on the page. Checked 2026-10-25.
Select full-flavored, ripe berries. Remove leaves, stems and immature or defective berries.
Do not wash blueberries. Washing results in a tougher skinned product.
Berries can also be frozen first on a tray and then packed into containers as soon as they are frozen ... Wash before using.
Mix 1 to 1 1/8 cups of sugar with each quart (2 pounds) of crushed berries or purée.
- REFRIGERATOR & FREEZER STORAGE CHART. FDA. Dated 2018-03-01. Checked 2026-10-24.
Because freezing 0° F (-18° C) keeps food safe indefinitely, the following recommended storage times are for quality only.