Does Heat Change the Color of Blueberries?

Sun

• As blueberries continue to grow, their color changes. This reaction is due to the actual light of the sun and the heat from the sun's rays. The fruit continues to ripen and changes from its original green color to a light reddish purple color. As the fruit continues to grow and mature, the color changes to a more-intense purple color, and finally changes to a deep purple and blue color.

Drying

• Native Americans dried blueberries in the sun and specifically used them to preserve various meats as well as for medicinal purposes. Dried blueberries continue to be a favorite among people; moreover, you can dry blueberries yourself. When drying blueberries in the sun's heat, the color of the blueberry will change. Depending on what type of blueberry it is, most blueberries will change to a darker color because of the heat.

Cooking

• Cooking blueberries changes the color of the fruit. Combining a heat source with other cooking ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar can change the blueberry from a blue color to more of a red color. When cooking blueberries with baking soda, the result may be a blue-green berry. Cooking blueberries with additional ingredients will alter the color of the blueberries.

Steaming

• When people like to make their own blueberry juice, they begin with steaming the blueberries first. Steaming is another type of heat source, which changes the color of the blueberry. As with a direct heat source, steam changes the pigment color of the blueberry from a blue color to more of a red color. Although steam is an indirect heat source, the color still changes.