Blueberry Information
Blueberry History
The blueberry of the genus Vaccinium, is a native American species.
Early settlers cherished the fruit as a staple ingredient in foods and
medicines. They incorporated the berries into their diets, eating them
fresh off the bush and adding them to soups, stews, and many other foods.
North America is the world's leading blueberry producer, accounting
for nearly 90% of world production at the present time. The North American
harvest runs from mid-April through early October, with peak harvest
in July which is also known as National Blueberry Month.
The Improved Blueberry
Efforts in the early 1900's by Elizabeth White and Dr. Frederick Coville
to domesticate the wild highbush blueberry resulted in today's cultivated
blueberry industry. Their initial breeding work has resulted in the
plump, juicy, sweet and easy to pick cultivated blueberry we enjoy today.
For more information on their breakthrough go to www.whitesbog.org
Over the decades, plant breeders and pathologists have worked to identify
and enhance the desirable features of various cultivars of highbush
blueberries. For decades Cultivated Blueberries have been improved through
natural selection and plant breeding programs to produce an optimal
blueberry with desirable flavor, texture and color. Cultivated varieties
have been enhanced to offer magnificent plump berries with deep, rich
color and a delicious fruity flavor. These plant breeding programs have
resulted in the development of superior berries both for the consumer
and the food processing industry.
The Cultivated Blueberry Market
Cultivated blueberries are grown in more than 30 states as well as
in British Columbia. Nearly half of the cultivated blueberries grown
are sold as fresh blueberries. Fresh blueberries are available for nearly
eight months of the year from producers across the Untied States and
Canada. They are prized by consumers who find them readily available
in the produce section.
Recipes
THE BEST BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1-3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups.
Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Combine the remaining
1-3/4 cup flour, the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt;
set aside.
Beat egg, sour cream and milk; stir into flour mixture until just combined
(batter will be lumpy). Stir in blueberries until evenly distributed.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake about 20 minutes until golden.
Yield: 12 muffins
BLUEBERRY GRANOLA BARS
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350º F. Lightly grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking
pan. In a medium saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar, oil and cinnamon.
Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes; do not stir. In a large mixing
bowl, combine oats and blueberries. Stir in honey mixture until thoroughly
blended. Spread into prepared pan, gently pressing mixture flat. Bake
until lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan
on a wire rack. Cut into 1-1/2 x 3-inch bars.
Yield: 18 bars
Per portion: 97 calories, 1 gram protein, 3 grams fat, 17 grams carbohydrate
BLUEBERRY-ONION SAUCED PORK TENDERLOIN
3/4 to 1 pound pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup port wine or sweet sherry
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
Preheat broiler. Broil pork, turning occasionally, until cooked through,
about 20 minutes. Remove to a platter; cover to keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons
of the butter. Add onions, salt and pepper; cook until onions are golden,
about 10 minutes. Add sugar; cook until onions are caramelized, 3 minutes
longer Add port, balsamic, blueberries and tomatoes; bring to a boil.
Remove from heat.
Thinly slice pork and serve with sauce.
Yield: 4 servings
Per Portion: 290 calories, 22 g protein, 11 g fat, 22 g carbohydrate,
439 mg sodium
Information provided by the North American Blueberry Council www.blueberry.org
The Highbush Blueberry Plant
Highbush blueberries are perennial, long-lived, deciduous, woody
shrubs. They belong to the family Ericaceae, which also includes such
plants as cranberry, azalea, rhododendron, and heather. Like the other
ericaceous plants, blueberries thrive in acid soils and do best in soils
with a pH between 4 and 5. Cultivars require from 120 to 160 growing
degree days to ripen fruit.
The highbush blueberry is a shallow-rooted plant, characterized by
a lack of root hairs. The fine, fibrous roots of the blueberry require
an open, porous soil for ease of growth. Blueberry roots are associated
with mycorrhizal fungi in the soil. These fungi aid the blueberry plant
in nutrient absorption. Many of the soil management practices recommended
for blueberries may actually benefit the fungus, not the plant.
Root growth begins in spring when soil temperatures reach about 43
F; often this coincides with bud swell. Root growth continues through
late spring, but slows during fruit development and maturation. Most
root growth occurs from after harvest through fall, until soil temperatures
fall below 43 F. Most blueberry roots are found within the dripline
of the bush and in the upper 18 inches of soil.
In general, the climate and soils between the coastal ranges and Cascade
Mountains in Washington and Oregon are ideal for blueberries. There
are, however, areas where soils are not suitable, such as areas of compact
clay soils that allow very poor internal drainage and root penetration.
Coarse sandy or gravelly soils present problems because of their poor
nutrient and water-holding capacity. There is potential for commercial
blueberry production in some regions of Idaho; site selection and cultivar
are important.
Cultivated blueberry plants usually require 6 to 8 years to reach full
production and are 5 to 10 feet high at maturity. Vegetative growth
begins in the spring with bud swell. Shoots grow in flushes, showing
rapid growth, then stopping as the apical bud aborts. A bud near the
tip of the shoot will continue to grow. Shoots may have from one to
several flushes during the season.
In mid-summer, shoot growth slows and several buds along new shoots
differentiate into flower buds for next year's crop. Flower bud formation
begins at the shoot tip and continues downward. Flower buds are large
and almost spherical, whereas vegetative buds are pointed, small, and
scale-like. Each flower bud contains from 5 to 10 potential flowers.
Flower bud formation continues until temperatures become too cool in
fall. Both flower and vegetative buds require a period of dormancy,
from 850 to 1,000 hours between 32 F and 45 F, before growth begins
again the following spring.
New canes develop from the crown (base) of the blueberry plant in early
spring. These shoots are extremely vigorous and often are the "renewal"
wood for subsequent years' production.
Blueberry plants flower in spring, with flowers at the tip of canes
and the tip of the cluster opening first. If pollination does not occur
within 3 days after flower opening, fruit set is not likely to occur.
Thus, growers should saturate the planting with bees at bloom time.
Although blueberries are self-fertile, cross-pollination increases fruit
production for many cultivars, resulting in earlier ripening and larger
fruit. With better cross-pollination, more seeds develop, resulting
in larger fruit.
Fruit development occurs for about 2 to 3 months after bloom, depending
on cultivar, weather, and plant vigor. Sugar content of fruit will increase
during maturation to about 15 percent when fruit is ripe. Fruit size
continues to increase after fruit turns blue, due mainly to water uptake.
Drought conditions during fruit ripening will reduce fruit size and
may affect flavor. Irrigation during fruit filling and ripening is thus
important.
Ripening is closely related to fruit quality. During ripening, changes
in cell walls result in berry softening; this softening improves palatability,
but also increases fruit susceptibility to physical damage.
Accumulation of sugars during ripening increases sweetness. Sugar content
does not increase after harvest, but acids are broken down during ripening,
thus decreasing tartness. Fruit flavor, much of it associated with the
skin, increases during ripening, but not after harvest. Postharvest
shelf life of blueberry fruit is increased by rapidly cooling fruit
after harvest.
Yields can be as high as 20 tons per acre (T/A), although yields of
7 to 8 T/A are typical of mature plantings. Note that yield data in
table 3 are from an average of all fields, including immature plantings.
Information provided by the Oregon State University's Northwest Berry
and Grape Information Network. http://berrygrape.orst.edu
