Featured Product: Massachusetts Blueberries

Blueberries are one of the easiest fruit to prepare and serve. There's no peeling, pitting, coring or cutting. They have few natural pests, (other than birds), so farmers rarely have a need to use pesticides. Area farmstands are bursting with berries, and there are many local farms that offer the delightful "Pick-Your-Own" experience.

Picking tips:

Select plump, full blueberries with a light gray-blue color. A berry with any hint of red isn't fully ripened. White and green colored blueberries will not ripen after they are picked; while blueberries that have already turned purple, red or blue-ish usually DO ripen after they are picked (if they are kept at room temperature to ripen).

Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches (like grapes), the easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your bucket under them in one hand and with your other hand, cup a ripe bunch and gently rub them with your fingers.  The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the unripe ones will remain attached to the bush. An experienced picker can easily pick 2 gallons per hour, a newbie might do 1 gallon per hour.

Care/Preparation

Once picked, don't place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form in the container.

Don't wash berries until just before using to prevent berries becoming mushy.

Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.

Freeze berries in freezer containers without washing to keep the skins fro mtoughening.  Place berries one layer deep. Freeze, then pour the frozen berries into freezer containers. Because unwashed blueberries freeze individually, they can be easily poured into containers in desired amounts. Remember both frozen and fresh berries should be rinsed and drained just before serving. Just before using, wash the berries in cold water.

Nutrition:

Blueberries are ranked No. 1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables. That means a serving of blueberries has more of the antioxidant power you need to fight aging, cancer and heart disease.

1 cup  (143 grams) of blueberries is 84 calories (technically, kcal).  Blueberries contain no cholesterol or fat and are also low in calories. Blueberries are high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A and niacin. They contain iron, other trace minerals and are a fair source of Vitamin C. 

Source: USDA Nutrient database

Find farms growing blueberries in Massachusetts: