Have you ever wondered why the blueberries you pick directly off the bush taste so much better than the ones at your local grocery store? Maybe you’ve never even picked your own blueberries so you have nothing to compare store bought berries to? If so, you definitely need to go u-picking for blueberries right away! If you live in Central Florida, we would suggest Ever After Farms. As for all of you that have picked your own berries before, you know what we’re talking about. The taste of fresh picked blueberries is just incredible. Why is that? Here’s some information you may not know as to why u-pick blueberries taste so much better than the ones in the produce section of your local grocer.
1. Fresher
The most obvious reason why blueberries from a U-Pick farm taste so good is that they are as fresh as they could possibly be. Just like any other food, fresher always tastes better. Meanwhile, blueberries from the grocery store can’t be nearly as fresh because it can take 7 days or more from the time the berries are picked to the time they actually arrive on the produce shelves.
2. Peak Ripeness
Another reason U-Pick Blueberries taste better than store-bought berries is because you can choose to pick the most ripe ones. Fully ripened to perfection blueberries are dark blue with a light white, cloudy coating called the “bloom” around them. This coating is completely natural and safe. It actually acts as a sort of “sunscreen”, protecting the blueberries from the sun, insects and bacteria. Store bought blueberries won’t have a bloom coating to protect the berry from losing it’s moisture, which can often result in a more bitter or tarty taste to the blueberry.
Furthermore, commercial farms purposely harvest blueberries before they reach peak ripeness because they are much more firm. The berries need to be firm to withstand the shipping to the packing plant, then the actual packing process, then the shipping to a grocery store. Plus, they must stay firm on the shelves for several days too. Before blueberries are fully ripened, they are a bit more tart.
3. More Nutrient Rich
After a blueberry is separated from the branch, it’s enzymes start to decompose and feed on its nutrients. This means that a blueberry from the grocery store will not be as rich in Vitamins, Antioxidants, or Protein as one picked and eaten directly from the bush because it has had 7 or more days of enzyme decomposition. Plus, more nutrient rich berries taste better too!
4. Rewarding Experience
Imagine walking through acres and acres of gorgeous blueberry plants on a beautiful spring morning, as you pick your very own juicy blueberries straight from the vine. Being outside in nature, gathering our food, brings us back to our primitive history as a human being. It is one of the most natural things we humans can do. Even the experience can put you in a state of mind whereby the berries taste better.
There’s a whole more to this subject than you realized, isn’t there? We hope this article inspires you to go pick more blueberries!