On Friday, September 9, 2011 6:23:16 AM UTC-6, Steve Freides wrote:
> Hi - posting from google groups 'cause I'm on the road and w/ a
> different computer.
>
> I brought a container of fresh blueberries with me - they haven't been
> refrigerated for the last two days and they'd already been in my
> refrigerator for about a week before I left. Now they are starting to
> show some white "stuff," which I assume is mold, in a spot or two.
>
> Are they still safe to eat in any form and, if so, should I wash the
> white stuff off, should I just try to avoid the ones that have the
> mold already on them, etc.? I imagine there is a scientific answer
> here but I'd appreciate a practical one. Obviously I don't want to
> give myself food poisoning but I'm hoping this white stuff isn't so
> terrible - you tell me, please. Today is Friday - I'd love to find a
> way to get another day or two, and another handful or two, out of
> them, not so much for frugality's sake as because I'm busy and getting
> to a grocery store will be tough.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> -S-

Excerpt from the Boston Globe:

Blueberries always seem to be covered with a fine white powder that washes off with water. What is it? Mold?

It is called bloom and is completely natural and safe to eat - a waxy material the plant produces to protect the berries from sunlight and to hold in moisture. You could think of it as a sort of ChapStick.

You should actually look for blueberries with a bloom. This indicates they have not been handled excessively. Once the bloom is gone, the berries will spoil more quickly, so it's best to wash blueberries just before using them.

Mold is quite another matter: It should be easy to distinguish from bloom, because it's much fuzzier and won't just rub …