Anthocyanins may help to prevent cancer and slow the negative effects of aging on cognitive and motor functions. High in fiber and vitamin C, blueberries were named 1999's Fruit of the Year by Eating Well Magazine. Ninety percent of the world's blueberries are grown in North America. Harvests run from mid-April in the Southern states through early October in northern Canada, peaking in July. Approximately 40 percent of that harvest is grown in the Midwest, primarily Michigan and Indiana.
Blueberries grow in two varieties, lowbush and highbush.
Most of the lowbush crop is used for baked goods and processed foods. The highbush variety, which grows up to 15 feet tall, has been domesticated and improved to produce the big blue berries we typically see in stores. Approximately one-half of the cultivated highbush berries are sold fresh, while the rest are frozen, dried, canned and processed for food production. Besides sautauthig, you can find blueberries in some oddly named culinary traditions. Blueberry buckle is a coffee cake with lots of blueberries and a streusel topping, while blueberry mush is a steamed pudding based on a traditional English duff.