National Blueberry Month

 

There are two types of blueberry bushes: Highbush and Lowbush. I’m happy with my tall Highbush variant, which is growing successfully in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b (plant zone range 4–7).


Elizabeth White and Frederick Coville, a USDA botanist, teamed up to cultivate wild blueberries, which are native to North America. The initial trials began on the Fenwick (White’s forebearers) New Jersey family farm, Whitesbog. In 1912, they successfully grew field plantings of blueberries. Their first commercial crop of Highbush blueberries was sold in 1916.


The Blueberry Hill cookbook, with the iconic Blueberry Buckle recipe, was published in 1959. I was unable to locate the original form, but I have included a version from the same era.


In 1974, Congress passed a joint resolution officially recognizing July as “Blueberry Month.” By 1990, blueberry production reached 100 million pounds per year. The holiday was further formalized by the USDA as “National Blueberry Month” in 2003.

Not only are blueberries delicious, but they also offer a range of health benefits.


This morning I baked zucchini blueberry bread and muffins. (Yes, I had to taste-test one muffin).


I shredded my thumb while shredding the zucchini. Bonus protein supplement.


Do you enjoy blueberries: raw or in baked goods?

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