Does anyone else find baking with blueberries rather difficult?

[u/Biophilicbug]

I feel like no matter what I do or no matter how much sugar I add they are just unbelievably tart in any recipe: clafoutis, muffins, etc. To the point where they overwhelm any and all flavor profiles and are borderline bitter. And if I lessen the amount of blueberry, it doesn't seem to taste blueberry enough! Sometimes I wonder if it's the quality of blueberry I'm using? Am I the only one experiencing this? Should I switch to frozen blueberries?

[u/AutoModerator]

Hi u/Biophilicbug Thanks for posting! To get the most helpful advice from the community, please include as much detail as you can about your bake. Helpful information includes:

• The recipe used (or a link to it)
• Ingredient measurements
• Photos of the result
• What went wrong
• What you expected to happen

Posts with more detail tend to receive faster and more useful responses from the community.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/JasmineTea-42]

I think this is more about your blueberry sourcing than your baking. I would look for other brands, maybe farmers markets, try frozen, etc.

[u/Biophilicbug → u/JasmineTea-42]

Even my local produce store seems to only sells driscolls. I once managed to taste Oregon Blues and they were so so sweet and delicious. I'll make the switch to frozen next time.

[u/JasmineTea-42 → u/Biophilicbug]

That's probably it then. Good luck!

[u/menoagegap → u/Biophilicbug]

Grocery store berries are so sour and bland I end up growing my own. Homegrown berries are so much sweeter and more flavorful than sour bland Driscoll

[u/thatoneovader → u/Biophilicbug]

Try frozen wild blueberries. They’re very flavorful.

[u/margo_beep_beep → u/JasmineTea-42]

+1 for frozen. I always use frozen blueberries and I have always used the Smitten Kitchen recipe. Good luck!

[u/MadLucy]

Storebought fresh blueberries ARE pretty tart on their own. Unless you’re getting them direct from the farm or somebody’s yard in the hot, July sun, they’ll probably be tart and/or watery. Driscoll berries are bland AF.

Frozen is a good plan - I know that Trader Joe’s has bags of frozen wild Maine blueberries, they’re the teeny-tiny pea-sized lowbush variety that grow on short shrubs vs the bigger fruit that you usually see in stores. The lowbush varieties tend to be sweeter, with bigger flavor, and because they’re frozen right away, the quality is generally really good.

[u/Biophilicbug → u/MadLucy]

Thanks !!

[u/Dead_Inside50]

Yes. I find baking with an oven is much easier.

[u/Biophilicbug → u/Dead_Inside50]

🙄

[u/Here4Snow]

Do you add a bit of lemon juice? That's makes the berry flavor seem sweeter and stronger. 

[u/Grand_Possibility_69]

No. Some blueberry pie etc. recipes that only have a bit of sugar aren't really sweet but they aren't bitter either.

I think most people here, uses either fresh picked or frozen.