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There are plenty of joys of summer, but perhaps none are sweeter than enjoying fresh produce. While there are plenty of arguments to be made for corn, tomatoes, watermelon, and many other summer fruits and vegetables, we certainly have a soft spot for blueberries. The biggest downside, though? Mold! It’s not uncommon to pick through a seemingly fresh pint and find one covered in mold. Great, now the whole pint is ruined. Or is it?
To help determine whether your non-moldy blueberries in the same pint are safe to eat, we enlisted the help of two food experts: Bryan Quoc Le, Ph.D., founder and principal food consultant at Mendocino Food Consulting, and Emilie Symons, chef-instructor of Plant-Based Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education.
Once you’ve determined the safety of your blueberry pint, there are endless ways to enjoy them. Eat them by the handful, toss them in summer salads, sprinkle them over yogurt, or bake them into jammy blueberry desserts. Not only are they especially plump and juicy in the summer, but they're typically cheaper during this time, too.
What Causes Mold Growth On Berries?
We've all been there—the berries you bought appeared mold-free, but only a day or two later, you find fuzzy fungi in the clamshell. What happened?
Although you can't see them, microscopic mold spores are present everywhere in the environment, both inside and outside your home. They can attach themselves to items and food, such as berries. “When conditions are ripe, the spores become active,” Quoc Le says. As berries grow, he says, enzymes break down the berry’s tissues, allowing the mold to accumulate nutrients and release more spores. This creates mold that is visible to the naked eye.
Environments that are warm, damp, and humid can encourage mold growth. That’s why it's important to refrigerate blueberries after a trip to the grocery store or farmers’ market.
What To Do If A Pint Of Blueberries Has Mold
The USDA offers a guide for handling food with mold and has different recommendations for hard and soft produce. Firm produce with low moisture, like cabbage and bell peppers, with small mold spots, can be used as long as you cut off at least one inch around the mold.
However, the USDA recommends discarding soft, high-moisture produce, such as peaches, cucumbers, and berries, because it can be contaminated beneath the surface.
But what if only one blueberry has mold? “There's no problem with eating a pint of berries if there's only one moldy berry,” Quoc Le says. “However, if the mold has infected a large proportion of the pint, where several berries are covered in mold, it's best to throw away the berries.”
Symons offers similar advice if you spot one moldy berry: “I just pick it out and remove any affected neighboring berries so the whole container doesn't spoil.”
Tips For Buying & Storing Blueberries
When shopping, Quoc Le recommends avoiding berries that are soft, damaged, or contain any mold, as they can harbor microorganisms. Typically, they won't make you sick, but he says they can cause issues for those who are allergic to mold or have a compromised immune system.
Once you bring your berries home, store them in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life. Both experts say not to wash them until you're ready to eat them. “Washing them increases moisture and encourages the growth of mold,” Quoc Le says.
While rinsing is sufficient, the Delish Test Kitchen recommends washing berries in a vinegar-water solution for a deeper clean. Soak berries in a solution of three parts water to one part white vinegar for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse the berries thoroughly with water and dry with a soft towel.
