Blueberries often come with a superfood label, and sometimes a price to match. The nutrition facts tell a clearer story than the label does.

It helps to separate what the berries contain from what researchers are still studying. And if fresh berries are expensive or unlikely to get eaten in time, frozen ones can do much the same job in the kitchen.

What a serving provides

A cup of fresh blueberries has 84 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and 14 milligrams of vitamin C, according to Purdue Extension. That’s the amount in the berries themselves, whether you eat them by the handful or add them to a meal.

Blueberries aren’t likely to give you as much fiber as a bowl of beans, but they can add fiber to a breakfast you already eat. And while oranges may come to mind first when you think of vitamin C, blueberries contribute some without having to be your main source.

Why the color matters

The blue-purple skin gets its color from anthocyanins, a group of plant pigments also found in red cabbage and blackberries. They’re among the compounds studied for their antioxidant properties. The color tells you those pigments are there, but it doesn’t tell you how much of them is in a serving.

Antioxidants without the hype

According to Allie Wergin, a registered dietitian nutritionist writing for Mayo Clinic Health System, research suggests that eating blueberries regularly may benefit memory. That’s a possibility, not a promise. An antioxidant measurement on its own doesn’t show that eating the fruit will improve memory.

How to buy and store them

Look for firm berries and skip containers with crushed or leaking fruit. A dusty white coating on otherwise sound berries is normal. It’s called bloom, and it’s a natural wax on the skin. You don’t need to scrub it off.

Keep fresh blueberries dry in the refrigerator and rinse only what you’re about to eat. If the berries are piled deep, spread them in a shallow container and cover it loosely. That keeps the berries from sitting under the weight of the rest of the batch.

If you’ve bought more than you’ll use fresh, sort out any spoiled berries and freeze the rest. Spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer the frozen berries to a freezer bag. Freezing them separately makes it easier to pour out just what you need later.

Purdue Extension recommends using home-frozen blueberries within 6 to 8 months. Mark the freezing date on the bag so you know which batch to use first.

When to use fresh or frozen

Try a handful on your usual cereal, or stir fresh berries into plain yogurt just before eating so they keep their texture. They also work in a spinach and walnut salad, where the sweetness balances the greens and the berries stay whole when tossed gently.

Frozen berries work well in smoothies, oatmeal, or baked goods, where the softer texture matters less. Stir them into hot oatmeal straight from the freezer and let the heat thaw them as you mix. For a smoothie, you can blend them while they’re still frozen.

If fresh berries are expensive out of season, compare the price per ounce with the frozen bag rather than comparing package prices alone. Think about how much you’ll actually use, too. With frozen berries, you can take out what you need and keep the rest for another meal.

If the fresh berries are starting to soften but are still sound, simmer them into a sauce with a splash of water and a squeeze of lemon. Spoon it over plain yogurt instead of saving the berries for a salad.