If you are looking to set your taste buds ablaze with a yummy, juicy, flavorsome fruit, try a blueberry. Over the years, these delicious and succulent berries have found their way onto store shelves and thousands of shopping bags.
Blueberries have gained popularity not only for their sweet, incredible taste but also for their high nutritional value. Today we address a question that might have crossed your mind more than once. Do blueberries have seeds?
Blueberries background
Blueberries are native to North America and remained unknown in Europe until the 1930s. Today, Canada is the leading producer of low bush blueberries. The United States produces nearly 40% of the entire world’s high bush blueberries.
Second to strawberries, blueberries have gained popularity amongst many because of their incredible taste and availability. Among many other tasty foods and deserts, blueberry pancakes and blueberry pies are delicious fruit products.
This is a type of fruit is regarded as a small berries. Blueberries grow on shrubs that are 10cm tall and can grow up to 4m. An average blueberry has a diameter that measures 5mm – 16mm. And they are round and flared at the end.
Blueberries have a pale green color at first. As they ripen, blueberries turn reddish-purple. Finally, when completely ripe, they turn a dark purple or bluish color. Also they have a light brush of white dust over their coat. This is a protective coat of epicuticular wax commonly known as the bloom.
Do blueberries have seeds?
Regardless of their popularity, most consumers have never seen a blueberry seed. Does this mean blueberries do not have seeds?
Surprising to many, blueberries do have seeds. A common myth is that the blueberry itself is the seed. However, the seeds are contained right inside the blueberry fruit. They are tiny, soft, and edible.
Depending on whether high bush or low bush blueberries, blueberries have seeds that vary from 10 – 20 seeds per fruit.
Low bush (wild) blueberries are pea-sized berries. They are characteristically smaller than high bush blueberries. Each berry has an average of ten seeds.
High bush (cultivated) blueberries have an average of twenty seeds per berry. They are typically larger than blueberries that grow on lower bushes. Just as the name suggests, high bush blueberries grow on taller plants than low bush blueberries.
Why are blueberry seeds unnoticeable?
Consumers usually eat blueberry seeds unknowingly. This is because they are tiny. The seeds are so small they are barely noticeable. Blueberry seeds are completely soft and usually unconsciously chewed together with the pulp.
It is only in fully or overripe blueberries that their seeds are prevalent. Therefore, the best and easiest way to see a blueberry seed would be in a fully ripe blueberry.
You have probably been enjoying your blueberries together with their seeds without knowing it. Due to their characteristics, blueberry seeds are not so visible.
Characteristics of blueberry seeds
- Blueberry seeds are tiny.
- They are barely visible.
- The seeds are very soft.
- Blueberries have seeds that are healthy and harmless to digest.
Are blueberry seeds ingestible?
Now that you know you have been unconsciously eating blueberry seeds, you might be wondering whether they are suitable for you. Fortunately, blueberry seeds are entirely harmless and safe to eat. The seeds are very soft, easy to chew, and fit for human consumption.
Unlike other fruit seeds that are difficult for the body to digest, blueberry seeds are very easy to digest. Plums, cherries, and peaches have poisonous seeds; however, blueberry seeds are entirely safe. Even for those with digestive issues, blueberry seeds are very healthy.
Blueberries, popularly known as the king of antioxidant foods, help protect your body from free radicals. This goes to say that eating blueberries helps your body fight against diseases such as cancer and slows down aging.
Are blueberry seeds healthy?
Blueberry seeds have many nutritional benefits. They have oil that is rich in omega – 3. They are edible and easy to digest. They are low in calories and suitable for your diet. The seeds are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
How do you separate blueberry seeds from their pulp?
By now, you are probably curious and wondering exactly how a blueberry seed looks like. Here are a few methods you can employ to extract blueberry seeds.
Method 1: Mashing
- Place half a cup of blueberries in a bowl.
- Use a potato masher or the base of an upright tool to press and crush the blueberries.
- Pour into a jar and add water.
- Allow the seeds to settle at the bottom.
- Carefully pour off the pulp and add more water.
- Let the seeds settle at the bottom again and pour off the pulp. Repeat this process until all the pulp is gone.
- Take out the seeds and place them on a paper towel to dry.
Method 2: Blend the blueberries
- Blend the blueberries for about 10 seconds.
- Pour the blended blueberries into a quarter jar.
- Add water. The blueberry seeds will settle at the bottom.
- Pour off the top water together with the blueberry pulp.
- Continue doing this until there is no more pulp.
- Dry the seeds.
Method 3: Grind the blueberries
- Grind the blueberries until wholly crushed.
- Pour the grinded blueberries into a jar.
- Add water and allow the seeds to settle at the bottom.
- Carefully take off the pulp from the top.
- Add more water and pour off the remaining pulp.
Final thought
Blueberries are very tasty fruits with a high nutritional value. They are exceptionally high in fiber but low in calories, making them great for your diet. These berries grow from their seeds, as articulated in the article above. Furthermore, you can use any of the methods to extract seeds for planting the scrumptious fruit in your backyard.
Form today onwards, when everyone else unknowingly wonders whether blueberries have seeds, you and I know blueberries have seeds. You also know right where they are and just how to get them! Enjoy your blueberries, even with the harmless seeds.
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