Freeze-dried wild blueberry powder is such a delicious and healthy treat! However, few people know the steps that separate whole berries and powder. In this post, we explain what freeze-drying blueberries mean in practice and why it is such a great way to preserve these delicacies of Arctic nature.

The process of freeze-drying – the crucial part of making high-quality blueberry powder

To understand the value of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder, we will start by explaining the process. Drying (or dehydration) is a typical method for preserving foods such as fruits, legumes, mushrooms. The purpose of this process is to remove the water part from the berries. At the same time, though, we want to keep the nutritional value intact. 

There are multiple ways to dry and process berries. The most common are oven drying, sun drying, and freeze-drying. The first step is to snap-freeze the fresh whole berries in extremely low temperatures in freeze-drying, usually below -80C. Next, the berries get warm slowly in a vacuum chamber. In this way, we allow for the ice to transition into vapor and finally evaporate.

Using extremely low temperatures to remove the water content from blueberries ensures that all the nutrients remain as intact as possible. This method is the best in preserving the nutritional value to the highest level.  

From blueberries to freeze-dried blueberry powder

So, how do you turn wild blueberries into freeze-dried blueberry powder? After freezing and dehydration, the berries become very dry. The next step is to make the powder by finely grinding them. Once in powder form, the product is ready for packaging. It is important to mention that high-quality berry powders come from 100% whole berries. There should not be any additives, such as sugar or preservatives. In the last step, the freeze-dried wild blueberry powder is packaged into moisture-free bags. These conditions will ensure the products’ ultimate freshness and preserve its delicate taste.

Freeze-drying to powder is one of the most effective ways of preserving berries for multiple reasons. First, it extends the lifetime of berries from a few days to ~two years. Second, it creates a versatile product from berries that is easy to use. For example, a tablespoon of wild blueberry powder equals a handful of fresh wild blueberries! Last, the process of freeze-drying is the best in preserving to almost 100% of the nutritional value of blueberries. This includes a high amount of antioxidants, vitamins, essential micronutrients, and natural fibers.

Freeze-dried wild blueberry powder vs. blueberry supplements & blueberry extracts

Blueberry powder (aka bilberry powder) is an excellent alternative to blueberry extracts and blueberry supplements. While blueberry extracts and supplements typically contain other ingredients than just blueberry, wild berry powder superfoods come from 100% berries. There are no preservatives, sweeteners, or anything else.

Another reason to go for wild blueberry powder instead of blueberry extracts or supplements is that wild blueberry powders come from the whole berry. This essentially means including the nutrient-rich skin, seeds, and flesh. On the contrary, blueberry supplements and extracts use just one part of the berry, making them less nutrient-rich.

Wild blueberry powder offers superior nutritional value to blueberry extracts and blueberry supplements. Besides, it gives you the pleasure to experience the unique flavor of blueberry and the beautiful color it gives to your food. 

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In conclusion, freeze-drying blueberries to powder is a great solution to preserve the blueberries’ nutritional value, flavor, and beautiful color. Because the difference between processing methods can be quite dramatic, we highly recommend the freeze-drying method. In this way, you choose a powder of the highest possible quality.

All of Arctic Flavors wild berry powders come from freeze-drying whole berries of premium quality. Please check out our wild blueberry powder, as well as our smoothie mix powder, cranberry powder, blackcurrat powder, lingonberry powder and sea buckthorn powder!

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We hope you enjoyed this blog post about the process of how freeze-dried blueberry powder is made! Got interested in trying it? Visit our product section for Arctic Flavors wild blueberry powder, which is freeze-dried.

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Thanks for reading!

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Arctic Flavors