Blueberries are a popular early summer small fruit. Successful blueberry marketing requires that the fruit not only be of very high quality but that it also be properly packaged and thoroughly cooled.
Most consumers purchase fresh blue-berries on impulse and are prompted primarily by the perception of quality. Wholesale buyers also associate appearance and firmness with fruit quality and freshness. Successful blueberry marketing thus requires that the fruit be of the highest quality and appearance. However, blueberries are extremely perishable and easily damaged by rough handling and adverse temperatures. Because blue-berries are often harvested and handled during hot, humid weather, attention to proper postharvest handling is essential to maintaining quality.
Harvesting of highbush blueberries begins in late May and often continues through late June. Rabbiteye varieties ripen in late June, and harvesting continues into August. Blueberries, even those growing on the same bush, do not all ripen at the same time. Under normal growing conditions, blueberries ripen over a period of three to four weeks. Ripe blueberries should have a completely uniform blue color. Fruit with a red tinge are less mature and will not be as sweet as more mature berries even though they ship well and will turn completely blue within several days. Depending upon the crop and the weather conditions, blueberry fields may be harvested as many as four times in intervals of five to seven days. For rabbiteye varieties the interval between harvests may be as long as nine days in cool dry weather. Harvesting more frequently may not make efficient use of labor, whereas less frequent harvesting may result in a high percentage of overripe fruit.
In general, high temperatures during blueberry harvest season promote ripening. Heavy rains during periods of high temperature can further hasten ripening, cause splitting, and greatly reduce storage quality. When picking labor is limited, prime fruit may easily become overripe. Overripe blueberries are extremely easy to damage. Blueberries that don t look too bad when picked may be totally unacceptable when they reach the consumer. Be careful! Price, and particularly reputations, depend largely on quality. Once damaged, your reputation and that of your marketing organization may be very difficult to repair. Consumers long remember experiences with a poor quality product.Rules for Blueberry Pickers
1.Keep your hands clean. Remember that you are handling a food product. The law requires you to wash your hands after each visit to the rest station.
2.Pick all the ripe blueberries on the bush before moving on to the next bush.
3.Harvest only well-ripened fruit. Leave immature fruit for the next harvest.
4.Place your hand under the clusters to avoid dropping the berries.
5.Avoid overfilling your hands; do not squeeze or roll the fruit.
6.Do not put trash or cull berries into the container.
7.Never allow harvested fruit to remain in the sun.
In order for blueberries to grow well they need to be close to water, well they don't really need to be close to it but the closer the better. That's why most blueberry farmers grow their blueberries close to water or in very humid areas where there is alot of shade.
One popular blueberry product is poptarts. Here is some information about the product consumers love so much.
DESCRIPTION= Blueberry filled toaster pastry.
INGREDIENTS= Blueberry filling (corn syrup, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, crackermeal, modified wheat starch, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, dried blueberries, dried grapes, dried apples, citric acid, xanthan gum, natural and artificial blueberry flavors, caramel color, soy lecithin, red #40, and blue #2), enriched wheat flour, sugar, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, corn syrup, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate), water, niacinamide, reduced iron, vitamin A palmitate, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), and folic acid.
ALLERGEN INFORMATION= contains wheat products.
FAQ about blueberries
