3 things you may not know about blueberries:
• Wild lowbush blueberries (several hundred varieties), along with cranberries and concord grapes, are a native species to Canada and belong to the heather family
• British Columbia is one of the top three highbush blueberry producing areas in the world
• Blueberries improve vision at night; Second World War British pilots ate blueberry preserves before flying night manoeuvres
2 ways to try blueberries right now
• Put a twist on summery shortcake by using fresh blueberries instead of traditional strawberries
• Cool off with a chilled blueberry mascarpone semifreddo
1 tip you can't live without
• Blueberries freeze well, but frozen ones can turn cake or muffin batter completely purple if they're mixed in too much. Don't thaw berries before adding them to batters, and fold in very gently
1 collectible to pick up
• A vintage berry bowl with holes and a saucer, to go straight from garden to table
1 thing to remember at the roadside stand
• Shake the container very gently to make sure that berries move freely and are not soft and clumped together
2 ways to taste the best Canadian blueberries this summer
• Check out one of Canada's many blueberry festivals. Brigus, Nfld., Sioux Lookout and Sudbury, Ont., Fort McMurray, Alta., and Surrey, B.C., to name just a few, all have days devoted to blueberries
• Chill out with Markland Cottage Winery's Blueberry Rodrigues blueberry wine, or President's Choice Pomegranate Blueberry drink for a non-alcoholic option.
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