Blueberries and Flaxseed Oil Vinaigrette

July is “Blueberries” Month. Here are a few tips and one of my favorite healthy vinaigrette recipe made with them.

Refrigerate freshly picked unwashed blueberries no more than 5 days; for best quality eat or use them close to harvesting. For buying in store, I recommend eating them or using them as soon as possible, as they may have already been sitting on shelves for a few days. If refrigerating for a few days, make sure you remove molded ones, skin damaged ones, or too soft ones. They can spoil the remaining good ones very quickly.

To freeze fresh blueberries: 1. Spread unwashed blueberries on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze. Once frozen, you can store them altogether in a freezer bag.

From frozen stage, wash them carefully before use. Do not store in the refrigerator for a long time, as they will become watery. Quickly defrost over the counter, if using shortly. If using for baking, example making muffins, use them in their frozen state. They won't leach color nor becoming watery in your recipe. They are also great frozen for making smoothie. Now to our vinaigrette recipe, enjoy!


¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup flaxseed oil
¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar (the older the better for this)
1/2 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 small shallot, chopped
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Place all the ingredients in a deep measuring cup. Smooth out with a hand blender. Refrigerate until use.

Salad option: mix with greens and shredded carrots. Top with blueberries, feta cheese, and sliced almonds.

Option: You may substitute flaxseed oil with walnut or almond oil.

Recipe makes 1 cup.
Copyrighted Chef Marie 2011