Maine Blueberries: More Skin in the Game.

What’s the difference between these and other blueberries?

Blueberries are a “superfood.” Their deep purple color tells you that! They contain antioxidants that are known to thwart cancer and add nutritional value to a healthy lifestyle. I’ve long been a fan of the blueberry.

We had four to five blueberry bushes growing up. I’ve also picked blueberries in wild bogs near Massawepie Boy Scout Camp in the Adirondack Mountains near Tupper Lake in New York State. I’ve picked blueberries in Wisconsin — once in my hometown at a place called Blue House Blueberries. And we’ve picked several times at a place called Cain’s Orchard in Hixton, Wisconsin. The only bog-type (wild) blueberries I picked were in New York. The others were shrubs or high-bush, as they are now called.

We had a few blueberry bushes at our last residence as well. They always suffered from winter kill, unfortunately. I think this is because they were unprotected in our yard. The north wind can be frigid in Wisconsin and easily kills off these shrubs if we have enough of a sub-zero cold spell. We planted them not only for the fabulous fruit but also for their foliage that becomes bright red in the fall.

Now we are in Maine. Maine is known for a lot of things. Rugged coastlines, foggy bottoms, tree-covered islands, and stunning granite cliffs. It is also known for lavender and blueberries — two of my favorite things. Unfortunately, the season has passed for these beautiful flowers and fruits.

I had my first taste of blueberry last night at dinner. My mini lobster bake offered a blueberry tartlet for dessert as part of the meal. It was only three to four bites worth, but oh, so yummy! I also had a blueberry ale by Sea Dog Brewing Company out of Portland! It had floating blueberries in it! We’ve been eating well here on vacation.

© Carol Labuzzetta, 2022

After tonight’s meal, the server asked if we wanted dessert. We declined but I suggested we go to the grocery store and buy some blueberry pie — as long as it was made with Maine blueberries! And so we did!