Indian Ladder Farms is preparing for an outstanding blueberry crop this year. The berries are fat and plentiful, slowly ripening in the afternoon sunshine as it flows down over the Helderberg Escarpment. Our Pick-Your-Own fields are home to many varieties of blueberries; we've planted different kinds to extend the growing (and picking!) season.
As always, weather and growing conditions change harvest dates every year. We expect to be offering Pick-Your-Own blueberries beginning in early July; call the Farm Market at (518) 765-2956 or the Hotline at (866) 640-PICK to confirm that the berries are ready and available. Native Americans and Blueberries
Blueberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. (The other two are Concord grapes and cranberries.) Native Americans used blueberries to make pemmican, a lightweight, high energy food made of fruit, dried meat, and animal fat that can be stored for long periods of time. They also mashed the fresh berries to make them into cakes, which they dried on basswood leaves and stored in elm boxes. When they wanted to eat them, they re-hydrated the cakes by soaking them in water.
Native Americans didn't use blueberries just as a food. Blueberries are high in tannin, a substance once used to tan leather. The Native Americans also made medicinal tea from the roots of blueberry bushes. They thought the tea would ease the pain of women in childbirth. This tea acts as an antispasmodic, so it was also used to treat hiccups, cramping, colic, and epilepsy.
Blueberries Today
The blueberries we grow and buy today are descendants of the North American wild blueberry. Early in the 20th century, a careful breeding program was used to develop blueberries that could be used as a cash crop. Blueberries became available commercially in 1916.
Today, there are about 30 different species of blueberries. They grow on three types of bushes: ones that are tall and shrub-like (called high-bush), another type that resembles the wild blueberry (low-bush), and a third type that grows on an evergreen bush native to the cool and rainy Pacific Northwest. Blueberries have been exported and are now commercially produced in countries all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and South Africa.
Blueberry plants produce small, white blossoms that bloom in the spring. Once the blossoms have been pollinated by bees, each flower develops into an individual blueberry. The blueberries themselves start out as small and green. As they ripen, they begin to turn red, and the color darkens into a deep blue. Do not pick a blueberry that is reddish purple because it is not ripe; blueberries do not continue to ripen after they are picked. The chalky coating on blueberries, called bloom, is naturally produced by the berry to protect it from decay, so wait and wash blueberries just before you plan to use them.
Blueberries and Nutrition
Articles in The New York Times and elsewhere have promoted blueberries as one of the best foods you aren't eating but should be. Fresh blueberries are sweet little packages bursting with flavor. They also happen to be absolutely loaded with antioxidants and micronutrients. As anyone with an interest in food and health can tell you, eating foods high in antioxidants can help your body fight cancer. Research performed at Tufts University and elsewhere analyzed about 40 different types of fruits and vegetables to measure antioxidant levels, and blueberries were by far the best choice. Micronutrients are small quantities of nutrients needed to support life and maintain health. Blueberries have remarkably high levels of manganese, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fiber.
More good news about blueberries isn't hard to find. Research is underway that links blueberry consumption to a wide range of good outcomes, including a reduced incidence of Alzheimer's disease, improved recovery from strokes, fewer urinary track infections, and lower cholesterol. And to make a great fruit even better, they are extremely low in calories. As with all fruits and vegetables, blueberries are at their most powerful when they are fresh and fully ripe, and you can't get any fresher than when you pick your own.
Storing Blueberries
Blueberries may be hot from the sun when you pick them. Wrapping them up while they are still warm will cause condensation to develop and this moisture will cause the berries to begin to rot. For best results, allow them to cool to room temperature before packaging them for storage. Refrigerate them in a covered container. In optimal conditions, they should keep well for about a week.
Freeze blueberries by spreading them thinly in a single layer on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan, and placing them in the freezer. Once each berry is frozen solid, pour them into plastic freezer bags or storage containers, label and date, then return to the freezer. They will keep at least a year.
Blueberries can also be dried. Again, spread a thin layer of blueberries on a baking sheet and place it in the sun for four or five days, or you can choose to dry them in the oven on low heat (150 degrees) for four or five hours. Dried blueberries should be so dry they rattle, otherwise they will mold. They keep a very long time in a glass jar or plastic bag.
Blueberry Recipes
Peter G. Rose, author of Foods of the Hudson: A Seasonal Sampling of the Region's Bounty (available for purchase at Indian Ladder Farms), and The Sensible Cook: Dutch Foodways in the Old and New World, has provided some commentary and recipes.