Blueberries

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The blue wonder

Threefold increase in blueberries

Known as blueberries or bilberries, these berries are highly versatile. It’s no coincidence that they’ve taken Switzerland by storm in recent years. Their cultivation in Switzerland has increased threefold over the past 15 years. In 2021, the equivalent of 150 football pitches were planted with blueberries throughout Switzerland, especially in the eastern Swiss cantons of Thurgau, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen and Zurich. Large quantities of imported berries are also available in the shops, of course. But who needs berries from Peru or Chile when you can get them from the farm shop round the corner in late summer?

A good soak with rainwater

Growing blueberries is not that easy, however, and calls for a great deal of intuition. The danger of frost, mice and various pests makes cultivating them a challenge. The type of soil is of crucial importance. Blueberries like acidic forest soils, i.e. peaty, mossy ground that is loose and rich in nutrients. They don’t like any lime in the soil at all. If you have a blueberry bush in your garden or on your balcony, make sure you soak it with rainwater or filtered tap water. And, for a wellness boost, you can fertilise your blueberry bush with coffee grounds.

A tasty treat for the bears

Apart from the large cultivated blueberry with its white flesh, wild blueberries can also be picked in some places in Switzerland. When hiking in the canton of Graubünden, for instance, you can find them in open coniferous forests and moors at over 1400 metres above sea level and up to the tree line. But be careful – if you’re in a nature reserve it’s forbidden to pick blueberries, because foxes, grouse, brown bears and other wild animals need them.

Extremely versatile

Although they both share the same name, the small wild blueberries are not related to the cultivated blueberry. The small berries contain many more anthocyanins and will stain your mouth and teeth purple when eaten. And that’s a good thing, as long as you don’t get the stains on your clothes. The colour comes from the many antioxidants that help our bodies to regenerate. Both types of blueberry are healthy, however. They don’t cause blood sugar levels to rise as rapidly as other fruits and provide valuable vitamins (C, E, K, B) together with magnesium, zinc and iron. These small fruits are delicious fresh in yoghurt, frozen in pastries, dried in muesli or cooked to make jam. Or just take a handful as a snack between meals.

A delicate little fruit

To keep blueberries fresh for as long as possible, place them in a sieve and carefully rinse them in a gentle stream of cold water. Drain the berries well and possibly even dry them with a clean kitchen towel. Always be careful though, since if their delicate skin is bruised or damaged in any way, they will go mouldy prematurely.

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