The Step You Can't Skip When Baking With Blueberries - Tasting Table

"The step is coating blueberries with cornstarch before adding them to your mix. "Blueberries leak a lot as they bake, and that juice can mess with the crumb or make things a bit wet," Daud explains. "The cornstarch soaks up some of that moisture, so the berries stay more contained." Dredging in cornstarch gives you more control over the berries and resulting texture of your bake, as it keeps them intact and their moisture in check."

"Coating blueberries in cornstarch is always a good idea, but Daud does clarify that it's less necessary with pies and galettes - she says she doesn't tend to bother with this step when making those, as these recipes aren't batter-based. There's nowhere for the blueberries to really sink, and their creating a little bit of juicy jamminess is actually desired."

Blueberries are nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich fruits that add juicy tartness and sweetness to baked goods. Coat blueberries in cornstarch before folding them into batter to absorb leaking juices, reduce wet crumbs, and keep the berries more contained. Dredging berries in cornstarch helps maintain their shape and moisture balance during baking and gives them slight grip so they are less likely to sink if the batter has appropriate consistency. Coating is less necessary for pies and galettes that are not batter-based, where berry juiciness and jammy texture are desirable and fruit cannot easily sink.

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