Blueberries are one of the most popular foods in the world. They contain many vitamins and antioxidants. Most often they are used to improve vision, reduce cholesterol in the blood, and also to minimize the likelihood of urinary tract infections. It is known that many positive qualities remain even after heat treatment, therefore today many people make bilberries for the winter at home.
Did you know? A large number of medical studies have proven the fact that the use of blueberries significantly reduces the chances of developing cancer.
Dried blueberries
There are several ways in which dried blueberries are prepared for the winter. Each of them allows you to save the most important substances, and even the pleasant color of the berries. Consider how this can be achieved and how to dry blueberries. 
In any way, the berries must first be prepared. To do this, take fresh blueberries, sort out the damaged ones, remove the leaves and twigs, put them in a sieve and rinse.
Ways berry processing for beautiful fruits with a glossy look:
- Pectin. It is dissolved in water in accordance with the instructions on the package. Then the resulting solution is poured berries and put them in a sieve to remove excess liquid.
- Lemon. From citrus extract the right amount of juice and sprinkle them with fruit.
- Blanching Prepare a large container of boiling water and a bowl of ice. Berries are dipped in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then immediately on the ice. After cooling, put on a sieve to remove water.
You can dry the berries in a special device - electric dryer or oven. In the first, they are laid out in special trays and dehydrated for 6-10 hours, depending on the desired result. After complete cooling, blueberries can be put in a storage tank. 
Oven Drying occurs in the following way: it is heated to a temperature of 70 degrees. Put a special paper on a baking sheet and put blueberries in one layer. Depending on the size of the berries, the drying process will take from four to twelve hours; as in the previous method, after cooling it can be removed for storage.
Living in a dry hot climate has its advantages, as in this case, blueberries can be dried on the street. Prepare screens of wooden frames and gauze and spread the fruit on them. At night, it is recommended to clean them in a warm and dry place. It takes such drying on average a few days.
We recommend to get acquainted with the recipes for preparing other berries for the winter: yosht, cherry, gooseberry, dogwood, chokeberry.
Frozen blueberries
Before freezing, the berries are prepared as in the previous methods: spoiled are harvested and washed thoroughly. Before freezing, the fruit is dried, so that the frost does not turn the berries into lumps. After the blueberries are laid out on a pallet in a single layer, and only after freezing, portions are packaged in bags or containers. 
So that the berries are not fed by extraneous odors from other products in the refrigerator, you can freeze them immediately in the package. Lovers of sweet berries can sprinkle them with sugar before freezing.
Important! Knowing how to cook for the winter blueberries in frozen form, it is important to take into account the correctness of defrosting, to get the berries in an appetizing form. It is recommended to do this in stages: first in the refrigerator until it is completely thawed, and then at room temperature.
Blueberry grated with sugar
This type of workpiece do in a hurry. In this case, as a result of the absence of heat treatment, a large number of substances is retained. 
To prepare you do not need to have any culinary skills. Pre-washed and peeled berries are crushed in a blender, mixed with sugar in a 1: 2 ratio. Put the blueberries, mashed with sugar, in pre-prepared jars and send in the refrigerator or freezer.
Blueberry syrup
The following ingredients will be used for the preparation: a kilogram of blueberries, 220 g of sugar, 700 ml of water and you can take a lemon. Citrus is cut in half and squeezed a large amount of juice.
Blueberries are washed, placed in a deep bowl, pour 330 ml of water and knead with a fork. Put the container on the fire and bring to a boil. Cook for 13 minutes and then cool. The resulting composition is passed through a sieve twice.
Important! To maximize the benefits of blueberry syrup is recommended to fully consume within six months after harvesting. At the same time it should always be in the refrigerator.
The remaining water and lemon are mixed with sugar and boiled for 10 minutes. After the beginning of thickening add blueberries and leave on the fire for another 3 minutes. After the time the lemon is removed and the syrup is cooled. The finished delicacy is poured into cans and stored in the refrigerator. 
Blueberry juice
Due to the fact that the skin of blueberries is very soft, it is easy enough to extract juice from it. To do this, simply fold the fruit into a bag of cotton cloth and squeeze the liquid. This method is ideal for lovers of fresh juice.
Important! Blueberries - the berries are very delicate and deform even under their own weight. Therefore, gathering for the harvest, you should use a shallow basket or neat trays, in which you can put the berries in a single layer.
Consider how to save blueberries, namely its juice for the winter. To do this, it is recommended to use a berry press, juicer or meat grinder. Harvesting is carried out different waysbut the benefits remain unchanged. 
Consider them in more detail:
- After squeezing the juice through the selected machine, it is drawn and filtered. Then the resulting fresh poured into an enamel pan and heated to 80 degrees. Boil the liquid for 20 minutes, then cool and pour into sterile jars.
- The second method is used in the processing of residues. They are poured with water in the same proportion and add a small amount of sugar. Put the container on the fire and boil for 10 minutes, then cool and filter. To add flavor, you can add pre-cooked juice. Store this drink only in the refrigerator.
- The latter method is suitable for the preparation of bases for jelly and fruit drink. Berries are washed and poured with sugar in the same proportion. Leave in a cool place for 15 hours. This time is enough to make plenty of juice. It is poured, and the hot sugar syrup in the ratio 1: 2 is added to the remaining mass. Insist 6 hours, and then filter. Juice and syrup are mixed and boiled. At the end, they pour it over the cans and roll it up.
Sweet blanks are made not only from fruits (apples, apricots or pears). Tasty jam is obtained from melon crops (melons) and even some vegetables (tomatoes, squash).
Blueberry wine
Consider how to make a real homemade dry blueberry wine. Collect 3 kg of fresh berries, they are washed and completely crushed.
Important! For the proper preparation of alcoholic beverage, it is important to use only freshly picked berries. As the cooking experience shows, if the blueberries ferment a little, the drink will get an odd smell.
The resulting mixture is spread in a glass container of large volume and add 2 kg of sugar. All 3 liters of water are poured, and several layers of gauze are put on the neck of the bottle and left in a warm place for three days. During this time, primary fermentation should begin. After the time the composition is filtered. 
The bottle is thoroughly washed and refilled with strained juice. Additionally add a pre-mixed glass of honey and a liter of water. Corked with a water seal and left for 2 months in a warm place. Then filter, wash the bottle and again insist, only in a cool place.
After the last two months, the last time is filtered and poured into small bottles that can be stored for a long time if they are almost in a horizontal position. You can consume it after such storage for at least 60 days, during which time the wine will acquire an amazing shade and original taste.
Blueberry Jelly
Being interested in how to prepare blueberries for the winter, many opt for this option. Today there are several time-tested recipes that we will look at in more detail. 
Classic jelly. For cooking, the amount of sugar should be slightly less berries. The fruit is placed in a saucepan, covered with half the sugar and left to stand for a while.
When the berries give up the juice, put the container on a small fire and gradually bring to a boil. Put the rest of sugar and boil some more minutes. Leave the tank to cool. Repeat the heating and cooling more twice. After the last time, immediately poured into prepared jars and pre-rolled.
Important! Check the readiness of the jelly in the following way: put one drop in a glass of water. Dessert is considered ready when the drop does not dissolve, but simply sinks to the bottom.
In the slow cooker. Fruits and sugar are taken in equal proportions by kilogram. Connect and pour into the pan multicookers. Select the mode "Quenching" for 2 hours. At the end of time, the regime is changed to the program “Steaming for a couple” just for a minute. Ready confiture is poured into jars and rolled. With gelatin. Such a composition holds the form even outside the banks. Berries and sugar take in the ratio 4: 2. For this amount, 1 bag of jelly is enough. All put into a container and boil for two minutes on low heat. The resulting liquid is poured into jars, which are twisted.
Without cooking. Ideal for novice cooks. For the preparation of one serving, it is enough to take berries and sugar in the proportion of 1: 2. All is ground to a homogeneous mass and distributed in sterilized jars, so that you can add sugar with a thickness of 1 cm. This will save the dessert from fermentation and allow you to get a dessert from the berries in its own juice while preserving a large amount of useful substances. Store it recommended in the refrigerator.
Blueberry Jam Recipe
For lovers of the classic method of harvesting berries, cooking jam is ideal. Let's take a closer look at how to make blueberry jam.
Such a recipe requires a minimum amount of costs. For cooking take a certain amount of berries, sugar is half more. Blueberries are covered with sugar and left for 5 hours. After the time set to boil for about 35 minutes. All the time, do not forget to remove the foam. 
The finished jam is cooled and poured into containers, rolling up the lids. This is the basic version of blueberry jam for the winter, according to your personal taste, you can add other ingredients.
Blueberry Jam Recipe
Considering preparations from bilberry not only as a delicacy, but from the side of its healing qualities, it is recommended to pay attention to such recipes for winter as jam. 
To prepare take 1 kg of berries and sugar, as well as 300 ml of water. Blueberries are washed and placed in a container in which they are carefully ground to obtain puree. Sugar is combined with water and cooked for two minutes. Then blueberry puree is poured into it and, while constantly stirring, it is brought to a boil. Cook 15 minutes, during this time prepare the banks. Upon completion of time, the resulting composition is immediately poured into jars and rolled them.
Bilberry Compote Recipe
Consider how to cook blueberry compote. For the recipe you need to expect that for each liter of water 0.5 kg of sugar is required. The berries are laid out in banks, at this time separately boil water and add sugar. When the sand is completely dissolved, the syrup is poured into blueberry jars and begin to sterilize them. On average, it takes 15 minutes. Then the banks spin and send to cool. 
Often blueberry compote is prepared for winter without sterilization. Thus it is possible in the cold time of the day to replenish the body with useful substances.
For a three-liter jar, 900 g of berries, 450 g of sugar and 3 liters of water are needed. Blueberries prepare and fill the jar with fruits to half. Then pour boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. This time is enough to warm the berries. Water is drained and covered with sand. Just before the spin, water is poured. Many are interested in what is useful compote of blueberries. So, thanks to minimal contact with hot water, almost all the beneficial substances remain.
Did you know? The first American colonists boiled blueberries in milk in order to get gray paint.
Knowing all these classic recipes, you can always improvise and add something of your own and thus surprise your loved ones with original and, most importantly, useful treats in the cold winter.
