Canned Blueberries

Fresh ripe blueberries may spoil of left out at room temperature for a day or more, but they will keep for 2 or 3 days if stored without washing in a covered container in the refrigerator. Canned blueberries can be light or heavy syrup packed or water packed.

Blueberries can be canned, mostly used for pie fillings, are cleaned and inspected, placed in cans, and the cans are then filled with water or with a 10-30% sugar solution to cover the head space.

The open cans are the exhausted or heated in free-flowing steam for 10 minutes, and finally sealed and heat process at about 93-95 °C with 25-30 minutes holding time.

The packing syrup from canned or frozen berries usually has picked up much of the color and flavor form the fruit. Hence, it may be used as a flavoring or a syrup for ice-cream sodas and sundaes, milk shake, mixed drinks, pancakes and waffles.

Compared with other fruits, canned blueberries are an excellent source of iron, fair sources of vitamin A, about average in protein fat and calcium and low in phosphorus.

Canned blueberries packed in water are low in calories and carbohydrates because they contain only about two-thirds the levels of the nutrients that are supplied by the raw fruit.
Canned Blueberries

Fruit of blueberries

In 1615, Samuel de Champlain watched the Aboriginals gather and dry blueberries in the Lake Huron region. Once dried, blueberries were crushed and mixed with cornmeal, water and honey to make pudding called ‘sautautig.’

The genus Vaccinium L. includes approximately 400 species, which are concentrated in the montane tropics but extend to all continents except Australia.

Blueberries should be planted where they have full sunlight most of the day, and far enough from roots of trees to avoid competition for moisture and nutrients.

They are shallow-rooted plant and must be either irrigated, heavily mulched, or planted in a soil with a high water table. Adequate drainage must be provided, however, because they cannot tolerate wet feed.

It is a high value crop which can thrive on acidic, imperfectly drained sandy soils, once conspired worthless for agriculture crop production.

Blueberries have a wonderful taste and are quite nutritious. They are low in calories and sodium and are a good source of fiber and pectin, both known to lower blood cholesterol levels.

The rich dark color in blueberries provides lots of antioxidants that protect the cells in human body from damage by free radicals. In fact, blueberries have more antioxidants than any other commercially grown fruit.
Fruit of blueberries