The level of anthocyanins in blueberries not impacted with a little “nuking”!

Highbush cultivated blueberries can take the heat!
“Antioxidant activity was not reduced when using shorter microwaving times, or baking or boiling.” Plants For Human Health Institute

Multiple sources have reported on a study by North Carolina State University that stated light cooking, i.e. warming your frozen blueberries, did not impact the anti-cancer fighting properties in frozen blueberries. This study which was published in the Journal of Berry Research also suggested that highbush, the typical cultivated blueberry, suffered heating better than frozen wild blueberries. This seems to be due to the temperature fluctuations that wild blueberries go through compared to cultivated (highbush) blueberries that go from harvest to frozen state faster and few if any, temperature fluctuations.

So the moral of the story here is don’t be afraid of warming up your frozen blueberries before using them in cereals! Another tip is that when it comes to frozen blueberries, it would appear cultivated may have some advantages due to the harvest to chill process over wild when it comes to fresh eating and boiling.

Read More At Plants For Human Health – NC State University Aug 2013