Blueberries are one of our favorite fruits ever. That little, bright blue berry is completely irresistible. If you are obsessed with blueberries like we are, then you definitely need to check out our blueberry recipe guide.
It has all of our favorite non alcoholic blueberry drinks and a whole lot of information about blueberries. Read this and you will be a blueberry expert in no time!
And, you’ll have a whole lot of delicious blueberry drinks to try….you better start now!
What are Blueberries?
Blueberries are a small, deep blue berry that grows in North America. The berries grow on bushes and range in color from pink to a dark purple. The bushes can either be tall, like a blueberry tree, or lower to the ground like a short shrub.
There are tons of different varieties of berries, about 450 different types to date! Each one has its own, special taste but, at the core, they are all sweet, juicy and delicious.
When is Blueberry Season?
Blueberries typically start to ripen in July and can continue to ripen through September. July is actually national blueberry month and it is the best time to look for fresh blueberries in grocery stores.
Are Blueberries Easy to Grow?
Blueberry bushes are fairly easy to grow. Blueberries grow best in North America in growing zones 4-7. They do require acidic soil and a lot of water. But, other than that, they will flourish with very little overall care.
One mature blueberry bush can produce about eight quarts of berries.
How Do You Know if a Blueberry is Ripe?
While most berries will turn dark blue when they are ripe, you can easily tell if the berries are ready to pick by simply tasting one or two. If they are sweet and juicy, they are ready to pick!
Blueberries on the bush will all turn blue around the sametime. Once you see a few of the green berries start to get color, they will quickly ripen.
Keep an eye on your blueberry bushes as the berries start to ripen. They are a favorite treat of birds, squirrels and even racoons.
You want to be sure to be the first animal to get to the pretty blue berries!
How Long Do Blueberries Last?
Leave your fresh blueberries at room temperature and they will stay good for 1-2 days.
Blueberries taste best when at room temp so, if you plan on eating or using your berries quickly, this is the best way to store them!
You can keep your blueberries in the fridge and they will keep for about 5-10 days. You can also freeze blueberries, preserving them for up to a year! There are just so many ways to make sure your blueberries last a long time!
Can You Use Frozen Blueberries instead of Fresh?
Got a fresh blueberry recipe that you want to make using frozen blueberries? No problem!
In most recipes, you can substitute frozen blueberries for fresh. Fresh berries do tend to be softer and juicier once thawed.
All that juice will turn your food and drinks into a very bluish gray color. This is definitely something to keep in mind when substituting frozen blueberries for fresh. That color is important!
We also mentioned that frozen blueberries tend to be juicier. You may want to consider reducing the liquid in your recipe to make up for that extra blueberry juice. This is especially true in baking recipes.
Drink recipes should be just fine to substitute frozen berries for fresh with a 1:1 ratio.
Many smoothies are frozen blueberry recipes since the frozen berries help make the drink cold and thick. You can use fresh in place of frozen but you may want to add a scoop of ice to make the drink thicker and frostier.
What can I do with Squishy Blueberries?
Got some squishy blueberries? Don’t throw them away! There is plenty you can do with squishy blueberries, especially when it comes to making drinks.
Add squishy blueberries to your favorite smoothie, blending the berries right in. You can also use squishy berries to make delicious blueberry syrup.
Blueberry syrup is great in mocktails, coffee and even just with a little bit of seltzer.
Squishy blueberries are also fantastic in baked goods. The berries will cook and get squishy in the oven anyway! So a little softness doesn’t matter at all.
Just be sure that your squishy berries are simply soft and not moldy. Moldy berries, ones with green mold or just white fuzz, do need to be tossed.
But, if your berries are just very tender and not moldy at all, keep them! Use them! They will be great.
Are Blueberries Healthy?
Blueberries are super healthy. When you look at blueberry nutrition facts, you will be amazed!
Those little blue fruits pack a serious punch! Here are just a few of the reasons why blueberries are so great.
- Blueberries are low in calories but high in nutrients
- Blueberries may help lower blood pressure
- Blueberries are very sweet but there are actually few carbs in blueberries that are readily absorbed in the body.
- The fiber in blueberries is very high. Eating blueberries will help keep your gut healthy!
- Blueberries are high in antioxidants and will help prevent cell damage which can, in turn, prevent certain cancers
- Blueberries are high in vitamin K1, vitamin C, manganese and vitamin A
Pretty amazing fruit, don’t you think?! All the more reason to enjoy blueberries as much as possible!
What Goes Good With Blueberry?
The sweet taste of blueberries goes well with a lot of other flavors. They pair well with many different fruits and spices. Here are a few of our favorite things to pair with blueberries:
- Bananas
- Citrus like lemon, grapefruit or oranges
- Peaches
- Other berries like strawberries or blackberries
- Coconut
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Honey and maple syrup
- Vanilla
- Dairy like yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta
- Almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
There are so many great things to serve with blueberries. Of course, there are a few things that may make blueberries not taste too good.
If blueberries are moldy, they should definitely not be eaten. Blueberries that are green will also be very sour and harsh. Hard blueberries will also have a tart flavor.
Be sure your blueberries are fresh, plump and blue (unless they are a pink variety!) and you will be quite happy with the flavor.
Can You Use Blueberries for Drinks?
Blueberries are fantastic in drinks. They can add a lot of fruity flavor and beautiful color. Blueberries can be added to drink whole or you can crush the berries, macerating them and extracting a lot of juice and the most flavor possible.
You can also blend blueberries, turning them into a delicious, thick puree. Blueberry syrup is another great way to use blueberries to add flavor to drinks.
Blueberries are definitely great for making drinks and guess what? We have tons of fantastic blueberry drink recipes right here! Each non alcoholic blueberry drink recipe highlights the great flavor of the little blue berries so all of us blueberry lovers will be quite happy.
Time to check them all out and try a few, don’t ya think?!
Best Blueberry Drink Recipes
From blueberry smoothies recipes to blueberry sauce for drinks, we have found tons of incredible easy blueberry recipes for you to try. All of our drink recipes are completely non alcoholic so they are perfect for everyone to enjoy!
You may not think that blueberries and coffee would be a good match but they go surprisingly well together. We think that fruit and coffee may just be the next big thing in the world of caffeinated beverages.
Our blueberry iced coffee starts with homemade blueberry coffee syrup. Blueberries, water, sugar, vanilla, lemon extract and a little bit of salt are combined to make a thick, blue syrup.
It is sweet, fruity and enhanced by the flavor of the extracts.
Cold brewed coffee, ice and heavy cream and combined with the blueberry syrup and turned into a refreshing, extremely fresh flavored drink.
You have never had a coffee like this before and we know it will be one of your favorites.
Lemonade is always a good idea in the summer. Pink lemonade is an even better idea. But blueberry pink lemonade is the best idea of all.
We use fresh blueberries, sugar and water to make a thick blueberry syrup. Then, we add frozen pink lemonade concentrate and a little water.
Our recipe is insanely easy but oh so delicious. The tangy, sweet blueberry taste is incredible. Did we also tell you that it is beautiful? Well, it is!
Are you looking for a unique, interesting drink to make with blueberries? Our blueberry lavender almond milk is just what you need. It is much different than any other drink on our list.
Blueberries and lavender are steeped in almond milk then the herbs and fruit are removed, a little honey and vanilla are mixed in and the sweet, flavored milk is ready to enjoy!
We use almond milk to make our blueberry lavender milk but you can really use any kind of milk you’d like. Whole milk, oat milk or even coconut milk will all be delicious!
Wait until you try this smoothie. It is one of the best we have ever had. A lot of the amazing flavor is due to the yummy blueberries.
But there are a lot of other great ingredients in there that we need to talk about, too!
Coconut milk, oats, lemon juice, lemon zest, banana and blueberries all go into the blender. The smoothie is pureed until it is creamy and thick. Then, it is ready to drink!
Not only does it taste fantastic, but it is healthy too. Sounds like a great breakfast idea to us!
Let us just add one more amazing blueberry smoothie to this list. This one is a real winner. Not only does it have a great berry taste, but it is also packed with protein.
Oh, did we also mention that it is very easy to make? Because it definitely is!
Add bananas, blueberries, almond butter, milk, flaxseeds, vanilla and ice to a blender and puree for at least a minute. The result is a very creamy, delicious smoothie that will make you look forward to breakfast every day.
While we definitely do like this blueberry drink as a breakfast, it is also amazing as a dessert or just a simple, mid day snack. Yum.
Want to make every drink into a blueberry drink? Then blueberry syrup is what you need to make first.
You can add this thick, sweet syrup to almost anything, transforming all your favorite drinks into blueberry drinks!
Water, sugar and blueberries are pretty much all you need to make this blueberry syrup recipe.
There are a lot of tips and tricks in the article so be sure to read it all! You want your syrup to be perfect!
Oh man is this drink packed with flavor. It is bold and spicy but also fruity and refreshing. It is amazing.
Of course, it has lots of blueberries which we totally love and know that you will love too!
Fresh ginger and fresh blueberries are so incredible together. You really can’t beat those two tastes put together.
Refreshers are also bubbly thanks to the addition of seltzer. While you can choose to buy expensive refreshers at coffee shops and specialty juice bars, it is so insanely easy to just make your own.
This perfect recipe will show you how!
One of the easiest ways to add blueberries to drinks is to just toss a few fresh berries into any glass. They will add instant color to your drink, making it look fancy and upscale in just seconds.
Since blueberries go so well with so many different flavors, this quick, blueberry addition will be great with so many drinks!
Grab a handful of wild blueberries, add them to your favorite drinks and- poof! A perfect addition.
Blueberries are definitely one of our favorite fruits. They are delicious when eaten fresh, you can store them in the freezer for months or you can add a few to almost any drink.
All of our easy blueberry drink recipes are amazing and we think you should really try them all. Each one is unique and tasty in its own way. Since they are all loaded with blueberry flavor, you are sure to love them.
So go grab some fresh blueberries and start making something great! You really can’t go wrong with blueberries. Enjoy!
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