The True-Blue American Blueberries
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Blueberry season in Texas is just around the corner and what better way to welcome it than by taking a deeper look into this tasty and tangy berry! Why did I call blueberries in Texas a True-Blue American? Well, it is actually a berry that is native to the Americas! Native Americans have been growing blueberries (how long do blueberries last?) for food and as a dye long before any settlers came to these shores! And not only that, the United States is responsible for producing over 50% of all of the world's blueberries!
If you're part of the group that hasn't tasted blueberries yet (if there's such a group) then you're missing a lot! The taste of blueberries has often been described as a cross between red grapes and green grapes, only much juicier and sweeter!
They don’t only taste great but they are also rich in antioxidants. Thus, it makes sense to have more blueberries in your belly.
How To Pick the Best Blueberries
You don’t have to Google “blueberries farm near me.” The best way to ensure that you have the freshest blueberries is to pick them at one of Texas' many U-pick farms and these tips and tricks will help you pick the best blueberries whether you're doing U-pick or if you're buying them from the store!
Blueberry Color - Probably the best indicator for ripeness, you should look for blueberries that have a deep purple-blue color to almost black (like black grapes). The darker the color, the better! Lighter shades of color have the tendency to be underripe and be veeeeeery sour!
Blueberry Skin - You know the saying "beauty is only skin deep?" well, that's not so with blueberries! The more perfect the blueberry skin is, the better! Shriveled-looking skin means that the berry is drying out and cracked/damaged skin will cause the berries to leak their juices out, causing spoilage faster!
Blueberry Texture -They should still be firm to the touch and appear plump. This is a good sign that the berry is full of berry juice goodness!
Blueberry "Bloom" - You know that white powdery stuff you often see on the skin of blueberries and grapes? Don't worry about those! Those aren't chemical residues but a natural coating called "bloom". These keep the berries nice and plump and prevent them from drying out! So if you have a lot of blueberries, don't wash them off until you're ready to eat them!
Wild Blueberries - These can either be actual wild blueberries or blueberries of the low-bush variant! But all the same, their taste is a lot more floral than your traditional blueberries and they tend to be smaller.
The Rabbiteye Blueberry
This variety (Vaccinium ashei) is the most commonly grown blueberry in Texas. The reason? Well, simply because it is native to Texas and they're very hardy plants, requiring very little in terms of maintenance and they have very few predators!
Dirty Dozen Appearance
The blueberry has made appearances on the "Dirty Dozen" list but this year's list no longer has them! Either this is an improvement in the methods used to farming blueberries or more U-pick farms have adopted sustainable practices in farming blueberries but either way, it's still best to support your local Texas farms when looking for blueberries “near me.'“ Not only are they guaranteed to be better, but it's a great experience for the whole family as well!
How to Enjoy Blueberries in Season?
Personally, I just eat them directly after picking them as they are best enjoyed in their raw form and all of their nutritional benefits are intact! But it doesn't stop there though. They do exceptionally well in smoothies and salads! And the fun doesn't stop! They're excellent in pies, tarts, and almost any baking application where fruit is called for! In fact, blueberries in my opinion is one of the best to use when baking because they retain their juiciness even when subjected to baking temperatures!
P.S. Do not wash blueberries until you're ready to eat them!
