Elliott Blueberries

Photo: flickr user ocean yamaha

About

The Elliott's Blueberry has Green foliage and conspicuous White flowers, with conspicuous Blue fruits or seeds. The greatest bloom is usually observed in the Early Spring, with fruit and seed production starting in the Spring and continuing until Spring. Leaves are not retained year to year.

Information

Translations: Elliott mellenēm, Elliott vaivorai, Afinele Elliott, Elliott Borovnice, Elliott quất, Elliott Borówki, Elliott Bosbessen, Elliott ब्लूबेरी, Эллиотт голубика, Elliott Προσκοπίνες, إليوت العنب البري, 엘리엇 블루베리, Elliott Borůvky, Елиот Боровнице, Elliott blueberries, 埃利奥特蓝莓, Elliott nabius, Elliott Borovnice, Elliott Čučoriedky, Elliott Mirtilli, אליוט אוכמניות, Elliott blåbär, Elliott Blueberry, エリオットブルーベリー, Elliott Bleuets, Elliott Heidelbeeren, Elliott Blåbær, Elliott Blåbær, Elliott arándanos, Елліотт лохина, Elliott Mustikat, Елиът боровинки

Physical Description

The plant has green foliage and inconspicuous white flowers, with a moderate amount of conspicuous blue fruits or seeds. Flowers are followed by edible, sweet, round, deep blue berries to 1/2 inch across.

Colors: Blue

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Sweet

Mouthfeel: Juicy

Food complements: Desserts, Breakfast dishes, Yogurt

Wine complements: Merlot

Substitutes: Other blueberry varieties

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober

Peak: june, july, august

Choosing: Look for berries that have the silvery bloom coating, are plump and uniform in size, and are not shriveled. If the blueberries do not have the bloom coating, it is an indication that they are not fresh or that they have been washed. Washed berries will not keep as long as unwashed berries. The blueberries should be deep-purple blue to almost a bluish black color. If they have a reddish color to them, they are not ripe yet, but can still be used if they are going to be cooked. Check the bottom of the blueberry container for mold and look for blue stains from the berries. Berries should be firm, dry, and move freely in the container. The blue stains may be from crushed or overripe berries.

When buying frozen berries, be sure they are separated and loose in the bag. If they are frozen into a clump, it is a sign that they have at least partially thawed and then been refrozen.

Buying: The is easily found in nurseries, garden stores and other plant dealers and distributors. Also try farmer's markets.

Procuring: Grown on scrubs, blueberries love acid soil.

Preparation and Use

The berries can be eaten raw, but are also added to fruit salads, pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, breads, pies, ice cream, and yogurt or cooked in various desserts. They are also cooked up to make thick sweet toppings for desserts, such as crêpes and cheesecake. Blueberries can also be cooked with sugar syrup to produce jams and jellies.

Cleaning: Wash well with clean water and dry.

Conserving and Storing

Store unwashed blueberries in the refrigerator for a week to 10 days. Be sure to remove any damaged or moldy berries so that they do not contaminate the others. Blueberries can be frozen or canned for storage. Do not wash fresh or frozen blueberries until ready to use.