Picking the Perfect Blueberry
Blueberry season has finally arrived with the start of the Florida blueberry season, the first blueberry season for U.S. blueberry growers. Whether you are getting your Florida blueberries from the grocery store or from U-Pick blueberry farms, you want to make sure that only the most perfect blueberries make it home with you. Follower tips below to ensure that you get the best blueberries this season.
Tips for Buying Perfect Blueberries
Whether you are buying your blueberries from a grocery store or picking them off the bush at a blueberry farm, you want the most perfect blueberries for your money. Follow these tips for the best blueberries:
- -Choose blueberries that are a deep, lovely shade of blue. Blueberries will not ripen after they are picked, like bananas or apples, so they will not be any riper than the moment they were picked. Leave berries with green or pink as they are not yet ripe.
- -Look for berries with a silver-white sheen to them, almost like a powder coating. This is not residue from anything sprayed on the blueberry plants in the field. Called the berry’s ‘bloom,’ it’s a natural part of the blueberry’s make up, and it helps to protect the blueberry from insects, disease, and bacteria. It fades with age and with handling the berries, so it’s a sure sign of freshness.
- -Steer clear of blueberries that have a wrinkled appearance as this means they are old and losing moisture. Similarly, don’t use any berries that are damaged or have other signs of being past their prime, such as mold.
When picking berries off the bush, perfectly ripe blueberry should almost fall right into your hand. They should not require any sort of tugging whatsoever.
When you get home with your blueberries, you may be tempted to wash them, but don’t! Blueberries have that natural protection that helps them to stay fresh and juicy. Wash fresh blueberries right before you’re about to use them only. Look to our BlueberriesFromFlorida.com recipes pages or the Blueberries from Florida Pinterest recipe boards to find great recipes for your fresh Florida blueberries!
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