Augason Farms Freeze Dried Whole Blueberries Can, Emergency Food Supply, Everyday Meals, 26 Servings

As with all prep purchases we try before long term storage. These are wonderful, even right out of the can! We buy fresh wild blueberries so these are bigger berries than we're used to but man! We've used in oatmeal, muffins, pancakes and out of the can. They were really great in all ways. Just be sure to rehydrate well before baking and adjust the fluid depending on how wet your berries are. So far our favorite way is just like the banana chips and strawberries, right out of the can! YUMMY! Oh, I forgot. I've been using these and the strawberries in yogurt. Crush up a bit and mixed in dry. Let it set a few minutes and yummy!!!

Update 6-14-2021 - I had opened the can about 3.5 months ago to do the tests described below. Since then I have been putting them on my cereal occasionally. I had seen in others reviews and the Q&A section that the berries could last up to a year after opening. However, I noticed that by 3 months, the remaining berries, about a 1/4 of the berries, were sticking together and felt slightly gummy. I suspect moisture was getting into the can whenever I opened it. The berries don’t seem to have spoiled, but I doubt the remaining ones would be good several months from now. An identical situation occurred with a can of strawberries. They are no longer crisp as they were when new. In my opinion, these freeze-dried berries need to be consumed within a couple of months of opening.First, and most important, the weight of the blueberries I received was 12.1 oz, just a hair over the specified weight. So, I got what I paid for. By the way, the unopened can weighs 21 oz. By itself, the can and lid weighs 8.9 oz. So, in the future, I can tell whether I got the correct 12 oz. without having to open the can.And the can was nearly full, surprising me. About 5.5" of the 7" tall can, or 78%, was full of berries.Second is the number of servings. Following the printed statement on the can label, I measured out 13 grams, or 1/2 cup, of berries that was supposed to equal one serving. 13 grams did equal 1/2 cup. I actually got 25-1/3 servings from the 12.1 ounces of berries. So, the difference in the 2/3 "missing" serving could be due to one or two extra berries in many of the other cups full. I won't quibble over the slight "shortage," especially since I got the specified 12 ounces.Third, the quality. The berries tasted good. Both dry and rehydrated, they had a reasonably sweet taste, just a little tart as you might expect from blueberries. The taste was slightly different from some fresh blueberries I have. The main difference is that when dry, they are very crunchy. When rehydrated, they are squishy. They do not have the firmness of fresh berries. But that should be expected.As for their appearance, they are shriveled as expected, but they were good-sized even when dry (see pictures). The coloring was the expected "blue" color of blueberries. Some had white areas on them, but when I loooked closely, these were where the outer skin and peeled off. I don't think there is anything wrong with them.Finally, I rehydrated some, following the directions on the label (1/2 cup of berries in 1 cup of warm water). I left them in the water for about 15 minutes to make sure they were rehydrated as much as possible. One thing I noticed was that only about 1/4 of the 1 cup of water was absorbed. There was about 3/4 cup of blueberry water left over.In the Q&A section, one person estimated that the rehydrated berries would be equal to 6.5 pints (2 cups to a pint - 26 servings/4 = 6.5). The rehydrated berries were actually about the same 1/2 cup in volume as the dried berries. Four 1/2 cups of the rehydrated berries would probably be almost a pint in volume. In terms of numbers of berries, you might get about the similar numbers. I counted 36 fresh berries into a 1/2 cup and 45 dry berries into the same 1/2 cup. The rehydrated berries weighed about 2 oz while a matching 1/2 cup of fresh berries weighed 2.5 oz.Rehydration is not required. They can be eaten straight from the can - if you have a taste for blueberries. I would add them to my cereal, where I have blueberries most days.Next is the cost. These berries cost $33.65 or $2.80/ounce. But if we assume that the 12 ounces of berries were roughly equivalent to, let's say, 6 pints, then the cost per pint is $5.61/pint. But I bought a pint of fresh blueberries the other day for $3.29. Rarely do I pay more than $3.50 for a pint. I have paid as little as $2.50 a pint from a store.Also, for comparison, I bought two different kinds of dried blueberries at an "organic" food store. One carton cost $1.66/ounce while a bag was $.73/ounce. The two packages had 14 ounces and cost a combined $14.88. So, if you can find them, you can get dried blueberries a lot cheaper at a local store. But the "best by" dates are only a few months away. So, they are for current use, not long-term storage.So, we pay the extra cost for the benefit of being able to store the blueberries for an extended period of time - for emergencies. And I would buy these again for such a contingency. (Now that I've opened the can, I will need to eat them in the next few months.) But I would NOT buy these for regular or daily use if I had access to dried berries at the grocery store.Oh, handling the dried blueberries may turn your fingers blue.PS: Some people think that because they get a large can, they should get it full of berries. But the picture clearly shows that the net weight is 12 oz. (or is supposed to be). I'm not sure why they chose 12 oz., but a check of other vendors shows that they also put only 10-13 ounces of berries in their containers. Yes, Augason could put more berries in the can, but they would charge more for the berries. There is a cost associated with the production - the more berries, the higher the cost. (I've picked blueberries, so I know how long it can take.) The #10 can is a standard sized can used not only by Augason, but also other manufacturers who sell long-shelf-life food products. Using one size can is cheaper than having many different size cans. I have #10 cans with products weighing 2+ pounds. So, 12 ounces might fill only part of the can. In my case, it was most of the can. If someone got only 1/2 to 2/3 of a can full, then they might question the amount. But you have to go by weight, not apparent volume.

My daughter has been using these for Blueberry Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes, oh my goodness, so good! The Blueberries are plump and taste like they were just picked.She said that she soaks them in warm water just like it says on the can. I believe she said that she adds a pinch of citric acid to the Blueberry water.If you like Fresh Blueberries in any recipe, this is fantastic to have on hand all year.

Get what you can, while you can. Spend now, or spend even more later (and that is if food is available). Doesn't need to be emergency packed food. Buy extra of what you like to eat every single time you are at the store, shop sales, go frequently (don't wipe out shelves). If you are at a spot where you want to add greater variety to put into long term storage, then Augason tends to have quality products and better prices than other emergency brands. Look for their sales, shop often, build up your supplies.I like adding blueberries into the mix as it reconstitutes well, has good flavor and texture, and is still loaded with nutrients. Easy enough to stock up on rice and beans, harder to stock up on fruits and vegetables. Grow what you can, freeze or can what you can.. and buy what you can. Freeze dried is a very nice way to get good food that is still nutritious.Most #10 (that reads, "number ten" not ten pound) cans will maintain freshness and quality for 10-25 years after production date. If opened, it will be shorter; depends on what you get. Blueberries in my experience are perfectly fine for a long time. Environmental factors will impact this. The cans are pest proof, can take a beating (even if dented should be fine as foods are freeze dried and have no moisture to sustain bacterial growth), can float if not opened, and are a standard size for stacking and uniformity (hence why weights will vary, and some stuff only fills a little of can).

Bought for snacking. They are yummy though I found I didn't love them as much as a store brand I had just tried. This is a huge can and if you are prepping it would be great to have on hand, if blueberries are a must. I splurged for a self indulgent treat.

Great product, well stored. Comes in a can you need to use can opener to open. Which meant it was top quality when opened and would keep for the longest time frame possible.