Searching for the best facts about blueberries? Then keep reading to discover everything you need to know about this incredible superfood!
What’s your favorite fruit? A classic red apple? A juicy refreshing peach? A versatile zingy lemon? Or the small but mighty blueberry?
Blueberries are not only addictively delicious and the perfect size for snacking, they’re also loaded with antioxidants and other health benefits. They also make the most decadent muffins, desserts and pies.
With these fun facts about blueberries we’ll highlight everything you ever wanted to know about this hearty, healthy, and quirky little fruit. And trust us, there is a lot to learn about the humble blueberry!
For instance, did you know that blueberries prefer to grow in cold climates? Or that they’re one of the only blue foods known to grow in nature?
And it doesn’t stop there. The demand for blueberries has skyrocketed in recent years as people are adding them to their diets to gain numerous health benefits. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that blueberries taste like heaven!
From the surprising country that exports the most blueberries, to the heaviest blueberry on record, to a strange blueberry dessert – there are so many blueberry facts to choose from.
Are you ready to get this blueberry journey started? We bet you’ll be in the grocery store or farmer’s market in no time buying blueberries by the pound!
Contents:
1. Are blueberries a superfood?
Not only are blueberries a superfood, they were one of the original superfoods before the term became popularized and used extensively in marketing.
Blueberries are nutrient dense and loaded with antioxidants making them a welcome addition to oatmeal, salads, smoothies and desserts.
2. What are the health benefits of blueberries?
One of the most common health benefits of blueberries derives from antioxidants called flavonoids. Of all fruits and vegetables, blueberries have the highest levels of the flavonoid anthocyanin.
What do antioxidants do exactly? They prevent the body from free radicals that damage cells. Free radicals contribute to aging as well as diseases like cancer.
3. Can blueberries lower blood pressure?
One of the blueberry’s superpowers is its ability to protect cholesterol in blood from being damaged. The antioxidants in blueberries have been proven to reduce levels of the oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL). A daily 2-ounce serving was shown to reduce LDL oxidation by 28%.
4. What is the blueberry council?
Yes, this really is a thing. The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is a collective of blueberry growers, marketers, and exporters based out of California.
The group supports the blueberry industry in the United States and works together to bring data, insight, and resources to people in the blueberry industry.
5. What countries export the most blueberries?
Talk about a blueberry boom! The global blueberry industry is expected to grow to an impressive $3 billion in exports by 2025.
The countries leading the charge are Peru, Chile, Mexico, United States, South Africa, Poland and Canada.
6. What are the different varieties of blueberries?
There are over 150 varieties of blueberries out there! We were shocked to hear there was that much diversity among blueberries!
However, not all blueberries are edible. Many varieties are actually toxic. After biting into a toxic blueberry, the bitterness will let you know that it’s not edible.
7. Famous blueberry desserts
How could we have a fun facts about blueberries article and not talk about dessert? We know the most famous, blueberry muffins and blueberry pie, but what about blueberry grunt?
The most famous dessert from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, blueberry grunt is similar to a cobbler but made with dumplings of biscuit dough. Trust us, it’s delicious!
8. Nutritional facts in one cup of blueberries
Blueberries are made up of 85% water and contain 84 calories per cup and 21.5 grams of carbohydrates.
They’re also high in fiber with 3.6 grams per cup. You’ll also get 16% DV (daily value) of Vitamin C, 24% DV Vitamin K, and 22% DV of Manganese.
9. What is dried blueberry powder?
With the proliferation of blueberries as a superfood, we’re not surprised that someone turned it into a powder to get a bigger punch of flavonoid power. In fact, one tablespoon of blueberry powder equals ½ cup of fresh blueberries.
However, from a sheer enjoyment and taste standard, we’ll stick to eating our blueberries fresh thank you.
10. Highbush vs lowbush blueberries
Highbush blueberries are the more common blueberries you find in grocery stores. Lowbush blueberries are also called wild blueberries and can be found in the forests of North America.
The lowbush blueberries are smaller and actually higher in antioxidants, so now they are being cultivated, instead of only found growing naturally in the wild.
11. The amazing growth of the Peruvian blueberry industry
Here’s one of the blueberry facts that truly blew our minds! In 2010, Peru was only producing a measly 50 tons of blueberries per year.
By 2019, that number had increased by an astonishing 250,000% to 125,000 tons. Today, Peru exports more blueberries than any other country in the world!
12. How do you pick a blueberry?
In many locations throughout the US and Canada blueberry picking is a common summer activity. Whether it’s wild blueberries in the forest or cultivated blueberries on a farm, here are a few blueberry picking tips.
Choose firm, deep blue-purple blueberries with a silver sheen. Avoid soft berries or unripe berries that are green or red in color. You’re welcome.
13. Blueberries have a sibling
Did you know that within the blueberry family, called Ericaceae, there is another berry? It’s called the bilberry.
A bilberry looks very similar to a blueberry, but is not as common and mainly grows in Europe. When Europeans arrived in North America, they replaced all their bilberry recipes with blueberries.
14. It’s special being blue
Did you know that blueberries are one of the only naturally occurring blue foods? Just think about it for a second – what other natural foods are blue? The blue pigment is a byproduct of the flavonoid anthocyanin that we mentioned earlier.
15. Blueberries grow in tough conditions
When you think about growing fruit, often a greenhouse and warm temperatures come to mind. However, blueberries are one of the hardiest fruits and prefer colder climates.
They also grow well in acidic and sandy soil. These tough conditions make blueberries one of the only fruit species native to North America.
16. Can blueberries prevent heart disease?
A research study performed by the University of East Anglia in partnership with Harvard University found that eating one cup of blueberries per day improves cardiovascular health.
One of the main findings after the blueberry regimen was that participants had improved vascular function and a reduction in arterial stiffness.
17. Blueberry plants are indestructible
Did you know that blueberry bushes can survive natural disasters? Many of the most blueberry dense places in the world like California, Washington, and British Columbia are prone to forest fires.
One of the first plants to come back after a fire is the blueberry, which often grows back better after being destroyed.
18. You’ve likely eaten Canadian blueberries
In Canada, blueberries are the most exported fruit by a huge margin. In fact, almost 60% of all fruit exported by Canada are lowbush and highbush blueberries.
The cool climate and nutrient dense soil make Canada the perfect place to grow blueberries.
19. How long have we been eating blueberries?
The indigenous people of North America had a different name for blueberries. Blueberries were known as ‘star fruits’ because of the star shape on top of the blueberry after picking them from the bush.
Amazingly, blueberries have been part of a human’s diet for over 13,000 years!
20. That’s a huge blueberry!
The Guinness World Record for the heaviest blueberry ever grown was achieved in Lima, Peru in 2018. The monster blueberry weighed 11.28 g (0.4 oz) and measured 1.35 inches in diameter.
21. Special blueberry days
Looking for a reason to celebrate blueberries after reading these blueberry facts? Mark these dates in your calendar!
April 28th: National Blueberry Pie Day. July: National Blueberry Month. July 8th: National Blueberry Day. Then July 11: International Blueberry Muffin Day. July is definitely the month to go wild with blueberries!
Who wants more fun facts?
If you’re looking for some recommendations, these are a few of our favorite fact books to buy. We use these when planning fun trivia nights with family and friends!
We really hope you enjoyed all our fun facts about blueberries! Did you learn something new?
If there’s any blueberry facts we missed, you can let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them to this article!
