Frozen blueberries have higher antioxidant availability than fresh

Frozen produce often gets a bad rap, but new research has shown that in some cases frozen can actually be more nutritious than fresh. Blueberries are a prime example of this.

The berries get their colour from anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant compounds. Most of the colour is found in the skin, and freezing blueberries actually improves the availability of the antioxidants, according to research conducted by South Dakota State University graduate Marin Plumb.

“Blueberries go head to head with strawberries and pomegranates in antioxidant capacity,” said Professor Basil Dalaly, Plumb’s research adviser. Blueberries are also beneficial to the nervous system, brain, cardiovascular system, eyes and urinary tract.

Marin analysed blueberries frozen for one, three and five months and found the anthocyanin content remained as high as that of fresh berries. In fact, Plumb found that the leaching that occurs from freezing actually increases the anthocyanin concentration.

“The ice crystals that form during freezing disrupt the structure of the plant tissue, making the anthocyanins more available,” said Plumb.