Saturday, September 08, 2007

The Scoop on Wild Blueberries

Here are a few of the questions we commonly get asked about wild blueberries....

Why do they grow so well around the Bay of Fundy?

Wild Blueberries really like the glacial soils and climate in our region (including the state of Maine in the U.S.) - see map for key blueberry producing regions.

I've heard that Wild Blueberries are one of only a few berries native to North America. What are the others?

Like Wild Blueberries, Concord grapes and cranberries have grown naturally here for thousands of years.

How do Wild Blueberries differ from cultivated blueberries?

    • Taste: Their unique mixture of tanginess and sweetness give wild blueberries delicious burst of natural flavor, unlike the slightly sour taste of cultivated blueberries (in my opinion)
    • Size: Naturally smaller and more compact than cultivated berries, the wild ones deliver more berries per pound.
    • Performance: Wild blueberries hold their shape, texture and deep-blue color through a variety of baking and manufacturing processes. And they freeze extraordinarily well. In fact, individually quick frozen (IQF) wild blueberries maintain their quality for more than two years.
    • Higher Antioxidant properties: Wild blueberries contain more anthocyanin – a powerful antioxidant linked to protection against brain aging – than their cultivated cousins.
Visit the Wild Blueberry Producers Association website for more info on the health benefits of blueberries.

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