Not all big blueberries are nutritious. Do you know which variety to look for?

Audit expert: Shi Jun

Doctor of Botany, well-known popular science writer

In recent years, berry fruits, such as blueberries, have been particularly popular among young people. Blueberries are small in size and fresh in flavor. They are not only easy to eat, but also very suitable as a decoration for desserts, creating a rich atmosphere.

However, the price of blueberries is not very attractive. A box of blueberries in the supermarket costs 10-15 yuan, and the blueberries are not big and the quantity is small. If you want to buy large blueberries, the price will be more expensive.

Source | Wikipedia So, regardless of price, do we have to choose large blueberries when buying blueberries? Are concentrated (small) blueberries the essence?

1. Learn about blueberries

Blueberry does not refer to a single species, but a general term for many species of berries.

In a narrow sense, blueberry is a shrub belonging to the group of blueberries in the genus Vaccinium of the family Ericaceae, including lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), northern highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum) and rabbiteye blueberry (V. virgatum). In a broad sense, all species of Vaccinium with blue berries can be called blueberries, such as Vaccinium dux, known as the "wild blueberry of China", which does not belong to the group of blueberries, but can also be called blueberries.

Bilberry Source | Wikipedia

The height of blueberry bushes varies greatly, with short bushes only 10 cm and tall ones up to 4 meters. Blueberries bloom, and the flowers are inverted bell shape and rich in colors, including white, pink and red. The fruit of blueberries is light green when immature, then turns magenta. When the color turns blue-purple, the fruit is fully ripe and can be picked. There is a "small hole" on the top of the blueberry fruit, and the fruit diameter is generally 5-16mm.

Blueberry flower origin | Wikipedia

Blueberries are native to North America. They were introduced to China relatively late. In 2001, Qingdao successfully planted blueberries. Today, it has become the largest blueberry production base in mainland China with the highest level of industrialization. In 2008, Hubei also successfully planted blueberries. It is currently the largest blueberry production base in central China .

Blueberries are very "delicate" and have high requirements for the planting environment. They need to grow in slightly acidic soil.

Currently, the blueberries sold on the market are mainly foreign blueberry brands, such as Duke, Zaolan, and Beicun, while there are few blueberries cultivated domestically . This year, a research team from South China Agricultural University has independently cultivated the "Nan Gao Series Large Fruit Blueberries" after 8 years. The average fruit diameter is 1 times that of ordinary blueberries. They can be put on the market from January to April each year, which is earlier than the ordinary domestic blueberries that are put on the market from April to September and the imported blueberries that are put on the market from June to December. In the future, we will have the opportunity to eat more blueberries cultivated in China.

Source of "Nan Gao" series of large-fruited blueberries | Farmers' Daily

So, are larger blueberries more nutritious and tastier than smaller ones?

The Institute of Biology at Guangdong Medical University tested the composition of large, medium and small blueberry fruits of the same variety and found that large blueberry fruits contained slightly higher levels of nutrients, but the difference was not significant . The reason may be that the small fruits were poorly pollinated and fertilized in the early stages, resulting in poor development in the later stages and poor ability to obtain nutrients, resulting in smaller individuals.

Therefore, if you buy the same variety of blueberries, whether you choose large or small fruits has little to do with the nutritional value.

Source | CCTV.com

Are there differences in nutritional value between different varieties of blueberries?

The research team from Henan Province conducted component analysis on different blueberry varieties and concluded that the bioactive ingredients in different blueberry varieties vary greatly. From the experimental results, the comprehensive level of active ingredient content in the blueberry "O'Neill" is the highest .

Source | "Analysis and evaluation of the quality of different blueberry varieties based on their main functional components"

Therefore, when purchasing blueberries, if you have requirements for nutritional value, you can choose varieties with higher active content, such as O'Neal, Berkeley, and Duke varieties of blueberries. If you only need the taste, just choose large blueberries. After all, large ones are more satisfying to eat.

2The more blueberry white frost, the fresher it is?

As a fruit with high appearance value, another reason why blueberry is loved by people is its rich nutritional value.

Blueberries contain a variety of nutrients, such as dietary fiber, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese and various minerals. In addition, blueberries are rich in phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins, have good antioxidant capacity, help inhibit cell carcinogenesis, improve intestinal flora and cardiovascular function, etc. Daily consumption of blueberries is beneficial to human health.

Source | Wikipedia

There is a layer of white wax on the surface of blueberries. Some people think that the more white frost there is on the blueberries, the fresher they are?

The answer is yes. The white frost on the surface of blueberries is actually fruit powder , which is a kind of sugar alcohol secreted by blueberries. It can prevent blueberries from losing water during transportation and storage, and play a protective role. As the storage time increases, the white frost will gradually disappear, and the surface will become shiny.

Therefore, from this perspective, white frost is an important selection indicator when we select blueberries.

3How to choose a good box of blueberries?

When choosing blueberries, you should first choose blueberries with white wax, as these blueberries are fresher .

Secondly, when choosing blueberries, you should pick those that are fuller and rounder in shape, with intact skin and uniform size. If there are cracks on the outside, or if they are soft and uneven in size, they may have been damaged during transportation or are poorly developed, and their quality will be poor.

Source | CCTV.com

If you have the opportunity to touch blueberries, you can also touch them with your hands. Fresh blueberries should feel plump and firm. If they feel soft, it means they are not fresh enough and have been stored for a long time.

Third, when choosing blueberries, you should choose those with bluish-purple skin and strong fruity aroma . If the blueberries are reddish in color and have a lighter aroma, they are not ripe enough.

Source | CCTV.com

In short, for the same variety of blueberries, whether to choose large or small fruits depends on your own financial situation.

The dietary guidelines for Chinese residents mention that the recommended daily fruit intake is 200 to 400 grams. So, whether it is blueberries or other fruits, before paying attention to more nutritional intake, you must first make sure to eat enough fruit.