Don't you love blueberry season? I sure do. Especially when all I have to do is stroll out my back door and pluck these blue beauties from my bushes. Mmmmmm.....
I thought it interesting that MedlinePlus -- a consumer health information website by the National Institutes of Health -- has a fact sheet regarding the health implications of eating blueberries in the same format as their reports on medications. You can read it in it's entirety here, but here's a snippet:
Blueberry is a plant. People use the fruit and leaves to make medicine.
Be careful not to confuse blueberry with bilberry. Outside of the United States, the name “blueberry” may be used for a plant called “bilberry” in the U.S.
Blueberry is used for preventing cataracts and glaucoma and for treating ulcers, urinary tract infections (UTIs), multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), colic, fever, varicose veins, and hemorrhoids. Blueberry is also used for improving circulation, and as a laxative.
The site goes on to caution that there is insufficient evidence to rate effectiveness for these conditions. But there's no doubt that these tasty berries are chocked full of good things. Read this found on WebMD:
Long before Fats Domino was crooning about "Blueberry Hill," Native Americans used the potent fruit to treat coughs. These tiny little gems do indeed pack a potent punch. They rank the highest of any fruit for antioxidants (those free-radical-fighting powerhouses), and one cup delivers 14% of the recommended daily dose of fiber and nearly a quarter of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Continue reading here.There's good science behind the health claims made regarding blueberries. Check this comparative study abstract published in 2007 and found here:
Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties of blueberry extract (Vaccinium corymbosum).
Torri E1, Lemos M, Caliari V, Kassuya CA, Bastos JK, Andrade SF.:
Considering that the crude extract of blueberry displayed antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activity, its consumption may be helpful for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Continue reading here.
It would appear that enjoying these as part of an anti inflammatory diet would be a good idea. Most of my blueberries have been eaten standing by the sink after a quick rinse-off of clean water. But since it appears I may have a bumper crop on my hands, I think it's time to look for a few great recipes.
What is your favorite way to enjoy this wonderful fruit? Share.
7 comments:
This is one of my favorite summer dessert recipes - it combines peaches and blueberries - yum!
Peach blueberry cobbler from the smitten kitchen, found here: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/07/cornmeal-drop-biscuit-peach-blueberry-cobbler/
I am not able to pick them from my scorched southern Nevada yard.... But Thank you Costco I am loving blueberries too! Blueberries and oats this morning! Yay!
How nice to have them by your back fence! How long a season is it? I was going to plant some appropriate varieties for our area, but DH thought the season might be too short to justify the space they'd take up plus you'd be overwhelmed with berries all at once and then have none, and that seemed like a reasonable argument in favor of getting them at the Farmer's market instead of planting our own, but they look like they don't ripen all at once in your picture. Maybe I should reconsider...
Quickly, before my youngest eats them! I think he might be willing to eat his weight in them if I were willing to let him!
Also, Opal McGhie's floating pudding is a delicious (but VERY carb-filled) way to enjoy blueberries, in fact blueberries were the traditional/usual way we had it growing up.
http://kyrielle.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/696/16483
What beauties those are! So lucky!
This is the first year that my body wasn't going to allow me to participate in our family's annual blueberry picking.
As it turned out, that late freeze in March here in North Texas took out most of the blueberries. Not that I'm happy because the farmers are just the nicest people but glad I didn't miss out on the picking.
We often eat as many as we pick. We consume a great deal. They are indeed a great natural laxative!
I put them in yogurt or cereal and of course, they're just divine in any muffin or lemon blueberry loaf. YUM!
Our dwarf blueberry plant is loaded this year too, though not as ripe yet as yours is since we're 300 miles north of you. I usually freeze them in small containers or freezer bags and then we add them to oatmeal, pancakes, or muffins in the winter. If our crop is as large as it appears, I may make some blueberry
BeckyJo
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