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The
lowbush Wild Blueberry, or Vaccinium
angustifolium, thrives in the glacial
soils and northern climate found in the
special place we call the Land of Wild
Blueberries. Here in the beautiful coastal
fields and barrens of Maine and Eastern
Canada, wild blueberries have grown
naturally for thousands of years.
One of only three berries native to North
America, wild blueberries were well known
to the earliest inhabitants. In fact, long
before European settlers arrived in the
New World, native North Americans had
discovered many uses for the wild
blueberry.
Today, wild blueberries are often
harvested the traditional way, with
hand-held berry rakes that have been used
for generations. Within hours of being
picked, the berries are cleaned and
processed, using state-of-the-art
technology to preserve their remarkable
flavor and quality.
The
Maine blueberry harvest runs from
mid-April through early October, with peak
harvest in July which is also known as
National Blueberry Month.
Blueberry
Facts
- Early
American colonists made gray paint by
boiling blueberries in milk.
- The blue
paint used to paint woodwork in Shaker
houses was made from sage blossoms,
indigo and blueberry skins, mixed in
milk.
- If all
the blueberries grown in North America
in one year were spread out in a
single layer, they would cover a
four-lane highway that stretched from
New York to Chicago.
- Blueberries
and huckleberries although related,
are not the same. One obvious
difference is that the blueberry has
many soft, tiny almost unnoticeable
seeds, while the huckleberry has ten
larger, hard seeds. Blueberries are
also more blue, while huckleberries
are blackish blue or redish black.
This red/black variety is also called
southern cranberry.
- Blueberries
have been used commercially only since
the early 20th century, when the USDA
helped develop new improved varieties.
- The
blueberry is the second most popular
berry in the U.S., the strawberry is
number one. Over 200 million pounds of
blueberries are grown commercially
each year.
- Blueberries
contain significant quantities of both
antibacterial and antiviral compounds,
and have a reputation in northern
Europe of fighting infections. They
may also help protect against heart
disease.
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