Blueberries: proof that healthy food can be tasty, too!

While raspberries are my favourite berry to eat straight off the bush / out of the basket, I have to admit that blueberries are far easier to pick.


See how the berries are just hanging there, out in the open, right at the outer edges of the bush? Not tucked behind foliage close to the centre stalk.


Notice, too, how they grow in huge clumps, just like grapes, further facilitating the picking process. It was almost too easy... but I'm not complaining.


While you can't really tell how tall the bushes are from this picture, trust me when I say they are the perfect height for picking. You can stand up straight (no lower back strain from slightly bending over to reach the berries at the centre of the bush) and harvest the top half of a given bush, then sit down on an inverted bucket to lazily pluck an even greater number of berries from the lower branches. I filled a 4-litre basket in just over one hour from a single bush!


These gems are sometimes referred to as "superfoods": not only are they rich in vitamins and essential nutrients, the blueberry is touted as the antioxidant superhero of the fruit world. Check out this summary of research on its disease-fighting properties. You may also be interested in reading what Dr. Joe Schwarcz has to say about blueberries keeping your brain healthy.

Meanwhile, attempt to live vicariously through me, because while the following pictures of pie (and little tarts made from leftover crust and filling, lovingly baked by my partner) look fantastic, technology has not evolved far enough to allow you to taste anything through the internet. In other words, please do not lick your monitor!