Home Articles Holidays Fourth of July

Featured Ingredient - Blueberries
Rate it! Votes (1) | Comments (0) By Cheri Sicard Photos: North American Blueberry Council Posted August 6th, 2007 FabulousFoods.com Recommends: Very Blueberry, by Jennifer Trainer Thompson, (2005, Celestial Arts)	Very Blueberry

The blueberry, as you may or may not know, is a native American species. Long before the pilgrims arrived, American Indians were already enjoying these juicy berries year round, thanks to clever preservation techniques. Botanists estimate that they've been around more than 1,300 years, although blueberries actually weren't cultivated until the first quarter of this century! Not only are blueberries delicious, they are also nutritious, being low in fat and high in fiber and vitamin C. With a one-cup serving weighing in at only 80 calories, it's no wonder that blueberries are celebrated at festivals all over the USA.

Recent studies show that blueberries rank highest in disease-fighting antioxidant activity when compared to 40 other fresh fruits and vegetables. Just one serving of blueberries delivers as much antioxidant activity as five servings of other fresh fruits and vegetables like carrots, squash, broccoli or apples. In addition, blueberries are a rich source of fiber and contain only 80 fat-free calories per cup.

When buying fresh blueberries look for firm, dry fruit that is smooth and relatively free of stems and leaves. While size is not an indicator of maturity, color is. Berries should be deep purple-blue to blue-black in color. Reddish berries aren't ripe, although they may be used in cooking.

Avoid containers of berries with juice stains, which may be a sign that the berries are crushed and possibly moldy. Soft, watery fruit means that berries are overripe, while wrinkled fruit means they have been stored too long.

Fresh berries should be stored covered, in the refrigerator. Wash just before using and use within 6 days of purchase.

You can easily freeze blueberries for future use. The secret is to use berries that are completely dry before freezing.

Related Recipes Blueberry Orange Sauce Blueberry Orange Smoothie Blueberry Orange Sorbet Easy Light Blueberry Cobbler Fruit Bowl with Marshmallow Dip Grilled Fruit Kebabs Holly Clegg's Blueberry Pineapple Delight Cake Iced Blueberry Soup Strawberry and Blueberry Smoothie Wild Rice Blueberry Dessert

 

There are no comments for this item

Be the first to leave a comment

You must be a registered member to leave a comment. So why not sign up now?