In this article we are going to talk about blueberries and we are going to answer you a very common question related to this fruit.
Do blueberries have seeds? The answer is yes, they do. It is known that each blueberry has 20 seeds approximately.
If you have already eaten blueberries, you may not have noticed that they contain seeds, because the seeds are very small and it is not easy to notice them.
Because of that many people think that blueberries don’t contain any seeds but the truth is that there are seeds in them.
In this text we are going to tell you more about the blueberry seeds and also many other interesting facts related to blueberries.
If you love this fruit, we are sure that you will find interesting and useful information in this text.
Blueberries – the Most Important Properties
Blueberries belong to the same family as bilberries, cranberries and huckleberries.
Blueberries come from North America, but today those berries can be found everywhere in the world.
A blueberry has a specific dark purple colour because it is full of anthocyanins.
The flavour of blueberries is fruity and strong and we can say that it is different from all other fruits.
We can say that the flavour of blueberries might be similar to the flavours of green and red grapes.
Blueberries are also known for their health benefits. They are rich in vitamin C, manganese and fiber.
You can eat blueberries fresh or you can make a delicious dessert from them.
Also, you can freeze blueberries and extend their shelf life this way.
Now when you know what the most important properties of blueberries are, we are going to tell you which types of blueberries exist.
Types of Blueberries
Some of the most popular types of blueberries are wild or lowbush blueberries, northern highbush and southern highbush blueberries, rabbiteye blueberries, etc.
We are going to start from wild blueberries that can be found in many woods. Those blueberries are smaller than other types of this fruit and they are also known as lowbush blueberries.
Even though they are pretty small, they have a delicious flavour. Wild blueberries can be found mostly in Canada.
The next type of blueberries are northern highbush blueberries and they represent the largest variant of these berries.
Northern highbush blueberries come originally from the east parts of Canada and also from the south parts of U.S.
These blueberries are known for their rich taste and they are among the most delicious types of blueberries. Highbush blueberries are typical for their dark blue color.
On the other side, we have also southern highbush blueberries that come originally from Pacific Northwest and they don’t like coldness.
Southern highbush blueberries are also very delicious and they are smaller in size than northern highbush blueberries.
There are also the so called rabbiteye blueberries that come originally from the southeast of the U.S. These blueberries are known for their tart and a little piquant flavour.
Do Blueberries Contain Seeds?
This is the most usual question when we talk about blueberries. If you have already eaten blueberries, you may not have noticed that they contain any seeds. But, they actually do.
As we have already said above, blueberries contain seeds. Actually, every single blueberry contains around 20 seeds, even though many people think that blueberries are seedless.
If you have not realized that blueberries have seeds, that’s probably because they are so tiny and it is not easy to notice them.
Also, it is important to know that the seeds of blueberries are soft and they are hidden deep in the flesh of a blueberry. This could be another reason why it is so hard to notice the seeds.
Also, if you have not noticed the seeds in a blueberry, you will certainly eat them together with the flesh of this fruit.
It is interesting that you will not notice any difference between the flesh of a blueberry and the seeds.
You will not even notice that you have just eaten the seeds as well. The texture of the flesh is fast the same as the texture of the seeds.
That’s why many people eat the seeds together with the flesh of blueberries and they don’t even notice the seeds. Because of that most people actually think that blueberries are seedless.
Also, it is interesting that the flavour of the seeds is almost the same as the flavour of the blueberry flesh, so it is very difficult to notice any difference between the seeds and the flesh of this fruit.
However, there are particular situations in which you can notice the seeds of a blueberry easily. That can happen if a blueberry is ripe enough.
Like all other fruits, a blueberry will also become mushy and softer when it ripens.
On the other side, the seeds will be much harder in this situation and it will be easier to notice them.
If you have a blueberry that is overripe, you will be able to see its seeds easily.
Are the Seeds of a Blueberry Edible?
If you are not sure if you can eat the seeds of a blueberry or not, we have given you the answer already.
Many people eat blueberries together with their seeds and they don’t even notice that. But, good news is that the seeds of a blueberry are completely safe and you can eat them.
As we have already said, the seeds of blueberries are very small and soft. These seeds are harmless and they will not cause any digestive problems.
It is interesting that in some cases these seeds can be also very nutritious.
If we take into account that the seeds of a blueberry are completely safe and even nutritious, then we don’t need to remove them.
It is even recommended to eat blueberries with their seeds because they are not harmful and they can be even beneficial for us.
The only thing why we should extract the seeds from blueberries is if we want to grow the new blueberry plants of those seeds. In all other cases it is not necessary to do that.
But, even if you want to grow new blueberry plants from the seeds, you can simply buy the new seeds.
However, if you decide to remove the seeds from your blueberries, then you can do it easily.
There are two ways in which you can extract the seeds from a blueberry and now we are going to tell you something more about that.
How Can You Extract the Seeds from a Blueberry
There are two methods how to remove the seeds from a blueberry.
The first method means that you should take a bowl first, put blueberries in it and mash blueberries using a fork.
Some people have also a potato masher, so it makes the mashing of blueberries even easier.
When you have mashed your blueberries, you should put them in cold water. Let them stay in cold water for a couple of minutes, because during that time small seeds will sink on the bottom.
After that you should simply take the flesh of blueberries from the top of the bowl and consume your blueberries the way you want.
There is also another way to extract the seeds of blueberries. You can simply do that using a blender.
Take a blender and put a little of water in it. Add blueberries and start blending, but on the lowest speed. You should strain this mixture and you will notice small seeds in the strainer.
The juice of blueberries will be in a bowl and you can enjoy it.
The Health Benefits of Blueberries
It is known that blueberries are very beneficial for our health. They have strong antioxidant properties and they are rich in nutrients.
Also, a big amount of vitamins and minerals make blueberries one of the healthiest fruits in the world. When it comes to the health benefits of blueberries, we have to mention anthocyanin as well.
Due to this compound all blueberries have their dark blue color, but it is also important to know that anthocyanin is full of health benefits.
Blueberries Can Improve Your Digestion. If blueberries are a part of your diet, then they can be very beneficial for your digestive tract.
If you take blueberries regularly, you will not have problems with constipation and your digestion will be much better.
If you have problems with gas or bloating, then we recommend you to introduce those berries in your diet.
They will have beneficial effects on your digestive system and you will certainly notice a difference.
When we are talking about digestive tract, we have also to mention that blueberries can be related to diverticulitis very often.
This condition causes an inflammation and pain in colon, but there are also people who don’t have any symptoms. They find out that they have diverticulitis when they do a colonoscopy.
If you discover that you are suffering from diverticulitis, it is recommended not to eat foods rich in fiber.
According to that, you should not eat blueberries in the acute phase of this condition, because blueberries are rich in fiber, as we have already said.
In the acute phase of this condition you will need a liquid diet and you will have to avoid blueberries.
But, it is good to eat blueberries after the acute phase of diverticulitis. In this stage it is good to take small portions of blueberries and other similar fruits that contain seeds.
Blueberries Can Boost Your Immune System. It is believed that blueberries are full of vitamins, especially there are big amounts of vitamin K and vitamin C. Apart from these vitamins, blueberries are also rich in manganese.
All these nutrients are very important for your body and they will make your overall health better. If you eat blueberries on a daily basis, your immune system will be improved.
Blueberries Can Reduce Your Blood Pressure. Another health benefit of blueberries is that this fruit can low blood pressure and reduce the levels of bad cholesterol.
That’s why blueberries are of the crucial importance for cardiovascular health.
Blueberries Can Prevent Chronic Diseases. We have already told you that blueberries contain a lot of antioxidants.
Because of that it is believed that blueberries can prevent many chronic diseases. Among others, blueberries are known for their anticancer properties as well.
Blueberries Can Improve the Function of Your Brain. According to many studies, blueberries can improve cognitive functions and they can have a positive influence on our memory, too.
Due to a big amount of flavonoids that are contained in blueberries, this fruit will improve your brain functions and it is particularly recommended for older people to consume this fruit.
Blueberries Can Help in Losing Weight. Some studies have shown that blueberries can be beneficial when it comes to weight loss as well. Blueberries contain dietary fiber and thanks to that they will make you feel full for a longer time after you eat them.
Other Health Benefits of Blueberries. Apart from all these benefits that we have mentioned when it comes to blueberries, we have to say that these berries are good for skin as well.
They will improve the quality of your skin and make it soft and shiny.
It is also proved that antioxidants that are contained in blueberries can reduce wrinkles on your face and they can improve the tone of your skin.
Also, if you eat blueberries regularly, it will strengthen your bones and make them healthier.
How to Consume Blueberries?
As you could see, blueberries are very healthy and they will have a positive impact on your body.
We recommend you to eat them fresh whenever you can. You can simply take a handful of this fruit and you will have a great snack! It is much better than to eat unhealthy snacks and junk foods.
Only a handful of this delicious fruit will improve your health and make you feel great. But, you can also eat blueberries in many other ways.
Apart from being a snack, blueberries can be a part of your breakfast, too. You can simply add blueberries to your cereals or to your oatmeal.
It would be a healthy breakfast that will give you energy for the rest of the day. This type of a breakfast is also recommended by experts and it will boost your digestion.
Another way to use blueberries is to add them into yogurt or maybe into your smoothie.
It could be also a healthy breakfast that you can prepare easily, but you can eat this as a snack as well.
It is also important to know that there are many recipes with blueberries.
In some of them blueberries are the main ingredient, while in some others they can be only an addition to your dessert.
There are also many pie recipes with blueberries, but you can prepare pancakes with this fruit, too.
How to Store Blueberries?
It is always best to consume blueberries when they are fresh. Fresh blueberries are full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
As we have told you before, blueberries can be very beneficial for our health and it means that we should eat them fresh.
But, if you cannot eat all the blueberries that you have and you would like to store them, then you should put them in the fridge.
You can find a container in which blueberries can breathe and you should always put a paper on the bottom of the container in order to absorb the liquid from blueberries.
If you store blueberries this way, they will stay fresh for about 10 days.
If you are not going to eat the blueberries within the next 10 days, then the best solution is to freeze them.
They will not go bad in the freezer, but their texture may change a little bit.
When you defrost the blueberries that you have frozen, it is possible that their texture will be a little different than before, but it is not a big deal.
You can use those blueberries to prepare pancakes and other desserts.
Also, defrosted blueberries are perfect for making smoothies.
Even though blueberries will not go bad while they are in the freezer, it is always better to eat them as early as you can.
If you freeze blueberries, it is recommended to eat them in the next 6 months.
You’ve seen the most common ways in which you can store blueberries.
However, if you have too many blueberries and you don’t know what to do with them, then you can also use them to make jams and marmalades.
We hope that you found this text about blueberries interesting and that after reading this text you will definitely include blueberries in your diet.
Not only are they very tasty, but they are also very healthy, and we have shown you that in this text.
The next time you eat blueberries we’re sure you’ll pay attention to the seeds inside them, but remember that those seeds are completely safe to eat.
There is no need to separate the seeds from the blueberry flesh, but you should enjoy the full flavour of your fruit and its health benefits.
Read also: Best Time To Eat Apple: Day or Night? / What Does Mango Taste Like?
