Recipes
Culinary Dictionary
| Search: | All culinary Terms | ||
| Back to categories | |||
| Category: Fruits |
|
|
| Term(s) | ||
Blueberry | ||
 Blueberry, plant of the large genus Vaccinium, widely distributed shrubs (occasionally small trees) of the family Ericaceae (heath family), usually found on acid soil. They are often confused with the related huckleberry. There are two main types of blueberries:
Blueberries are eaten fresh, often with cream, as a dessert fruit, or baked in a variety of pastries. Origin: Blueberries are native to North America; they are now grown also in the Southern Hemisphere in Australia, New Zealand and South American countries, and are air-shipped as fresh produce to markets around the world. History: Blueberries were first cultivated in the United States by Elizabeth Coleman White in the southern New Jersey village of Whites bog. New Jersey remains a leading producer of high bush blueberries. Introduction of the first plants started in the early 1980s and production started in the late 80s in the southern part of the country. High bush blueberries were first introduced to Germany and the Netherlands in the 1930s and have since been spread to Poland, Italy, Hungary and other countries of Europe (Nauman, 1993). Blueberries were first introduced to Australia in the 1950s, but the effort was unsuccessful. "In the early 1970s David Jones from the Victorian Department of Agriculture imported seed from the U.S. and a selection trial was started. This work was continued by Ridley Bell", who imported more American varieties. In the mid-1970s the Australian Blueberry Growers Association (ABGA) was formed. Cultivation: Blueberries grow only in highly acidic and well-drained but moist soils. About 36,000 acres (14,500 hectares) of the high-bush blueberry are cultivated, primarily in Maine, New Jersey, southwestern Michigan, and eastern North Carolina. Cultivated blueberries comprise the majority of those that reach the market and the season can span from the end of May to early October. Large New Zealand blueberries are in markets in the winter at a premium price. Nutrition Fact: Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients, with notably high levels (relative to respective Dietary Reference Intakes) of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber (table). One serving provides a relatively low glycemic load score of 4 out of 100 per day. Especially in wild species, blueberries contain anthocyanins, other antioxidant pigments and various phytochemicals possibly having a role in reducing risks of some diseases, including inflammation and different cancers. |