Blueberries and blueberries: what is the difference, photo

Content

1 Blueberries and blueberries: comparison of berries
2 What is the difference between blueberries and blueberries
3 Difference between blueberries and blueberries
4 Comparison of the beneficial properties of blueberries and blueberries
5 Differences in growing berries
6 Differences in storage, processing and transportation of berries
7 Conclusion

Blueberries and blueberries are very popular because of their healing properties. Both are similar and useful, but there is a difference in their qualities.

Blueberries and blueberries: comparison of berries

Wild blueberry and blueberry fruits are a real find. Garden varieties are sold in stores, mainly bred by breeders from Canada. They are similar in composition and quality to wild plants and bring the same benefits. Common blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) practically does not grow in gardens. The seedlings offered in markets and online stores are a completely different type of plant, the result of American selection of the Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium cyanococcus). The properties of the fruits are reminiscent of forest fruits.

You can distinguish blueberries or blueberries by comparing the fruits. Blueberry is smaller, weighing up to 1 g. It is characterized by dark coloring substances - anthocyanins, an intense, special attractive taste with sweet and sour notes. Blueberry fruits are recognized by their light green, dense, fleshy pulp and colorless, watery juice.They are sour, with a neutral, weakly expressed taste, but there are also sweet, slightly cloying ones.

You can clearly see in the photo the difference between blueberries and blueberries.

Warning! Blueberry juice leaves a mark on the skin, as well as stains on fabric that are difficult to remove.

What is the difference between blueberries and blueberries

In nature, both plants prefer cold and temperate climates and are found in forests and wetlands. Blueberries are low, up to 40 cm, with green, flexible shoots, on which lonely berries are visible. Grows in coniferous, often pine forests. Blueberry bushes are taller, 0.5 m, sometimes rising up to 1 m, the shoots are woody, the berries are collected in clusters. They grow in open areas and are also found in the Caucasus. The leaves are ovate, similar, since both shrubs belong to the same family - Ericaceae.

Blueberries and blueberries are difficult to distinguish at first glance for a beginner. But each has its own characteristics, even in appearance - the skin of one and the other is covered with a bluish coating, the difference is visible in color. Blueberry fruits are round, similar to a dark blue, almost black ball. Blueberry - gray-blue, large, up to 12 mm, weighing 1 g, slightly elongated.

Photo: blueberries and blueberries differ in skin color.

Difference between blueberries and blueberries

It is interesting to compare blueberries and blueberries in terms of composition and amount of vitamins.

Substances per 100 g of product	Blueberry	Blueberry
Calories	57 kcal	39 kcal
Squirrels	0.74 g	1 g
Fats	0.33 g	0.5 g
Carbohydrates	14.49 g	8.2 g
Cellulose	2.4 g	1.2 g
Water	87 g	88.2 g
Ash	0.4 g	0.3 g
Vitamin A	54 IU	0.29 mg
Vitamin B1	0.037 mg	0.02 mg
Vitamin C	9.7 mg	16-20 mg
Vitamin PP	0.418 mg	0.28 mg
Vitamin K	19.3 mcg	19.3 mcg

The difference in the content of biologically active substances is quite insignificant. The fruits of the bushes are rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fiber, and pectins. In terms of the content of vitamins of different groups - C, PP, B, A, K, the berries are approximately equal, although there is some difference in favor of the composition of blueberry fruits.

The difference between blueberries and blueberries, as the photo shows, is in the color of the pulp.

The healing properties of blueberries and blueberries depend not only on the presence of vitamins, but also on other components. Blueberry fruits are rich in acids - ascorbic, malic, nicotinic, acetic, oxalic. They contain a little iron - 0.8 mg, but in a form that is completely absorbed by the body. Blueberries are known for their unique high level of manganese - 0.336 mg, this is their difference from other wild and cultivated plants. This element is indispensable in carbohydrate metabolic processes.

Comparison of the beneficial properties of blueberries and blueberries

Berries are good for health, and you should use the period of their collection to strengthen the body. Blueberries differ from blueberries in properties and effects, although both types of fruits provide an extremely positive general strengthening effect.

Benefits of blueberries

Due to their qualities, blueberry fruits and products made from them are popular. They are used:

to strengthen the cardiovascular system, including hypertension;
to improve the functioning of the intestines and pancreas;
to stimulate metabolism and reduce blood sugar levels;
to normalize brain activity in the area of improving memory and concentration;
to relieve eye fatigue when working hard at the computer;
as an anti-inflammatory and anti-dysenteric agent;
in case of anemia and to improve immunity.

Pectins and anthocyanins help eliminate toxins and support neural connections, which is why nutritionists, oncologists and gerontologists recommend berries to their patients.

However, you should not eat blueberry fruits alone, as they can cause allergies, intestinal disorders and muscle dysfunction.

Attention! Drinking 500 ml of blueberry juice daily restores memory function in older people.

Benefits of blueberries

A characteristic feature of the composition of blueberry fruits is a large amount of ascorbic acid and antioxidants. Many consider these berries to be a panacea for diseases and eye fatigue and to support the retina. Moreover, pharmaceuticals based on them are produced.

It has been established that blueberry fruits are indicated for:

with decreased visual acuity;
with the threat of developing cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis in particular;
during gastrointestinal disorders;
to cleanse the body of toxins, with anemia and low immunity;
as prevention of cancer;
with elevated blood sugar levels;
in case of infectious or colds.

The berries are used as an antibiotic to treat burns or ulcers on the skin; in folk medicine they are used for urolithiasis.

There are also contraindications: chronic constipation and diseases of the pancreas and duodenum.

Which berry is healthier: blueberry or blueberry?

There is a generally accepted belief that blueberries are healthier than blueberries. There is a slight difference between their properties. And at the same time, vitamin fruits saturate the body with useful substances and enhance its protective functions:

to maintain healthy eyes, blueberry fruits are better, although blueberry fruits will also contribute to strengthening vision;
The latter are indispensable for older people due to their properties of improving memory and thinking processes, as well as normalizing intestinal functions.

Differences in growing berries

The difference between blueberries and blueberries is their ability to take root in gardens. Eurasian blueberry plants require special conditions that are almost impossible to meet. Garden shrubs bred from plants from North America. Both species should be planted in open areas or in light partial shade, on acidic soils, and care should be taken to ensure drainage in the holes.

Features of growing blueberries

When buying seedlings in the spring, choose early and mid-season varieties, because late-ripening varieties may not ripen under our conditions. For northern regions, low-growing bushes are suitable. Pay attention to the taste of the variety.

Care instructions:

When planting, do not add ash and manure; fertilize with minerals;
water in the flowering and ovary formation phase;
the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat, oak leaves, and pine needles.

How to grow blueberries

Blueberry seedlings are selected based on the height of the bushes, the size and sugar content of the berries, and the timing of ripening. When growing, follow these tips:

distance between holes is up to 1.5 m;
Regular watering is the key to good development of the bush;
fed with minerals, without organics.

Comparison of yields and harvest times of blueberries and blueberries

Garden shrubs are productive, yielding up to 7 kg per plant. The fruits are harvested from late June to early autumn, picked every week.

Important! Berries from blueberry bushes are not pulled off the stalk, but carefully turned to maintain their integrity.

Blueberry fruits, depending on the variety, ripen from late July to mid-autumn. When ripe, weighing 10-25 g, they acquire a bluish-blue tint. But there is no need to tear them off right away. They wait another 5-10 days for the fruits to gain sugar and soften and be removed with a dry separation. The first harvest is consumed fresh, and the later harvest is processed.

Differences in storage, processing and transportation of berries

Fresh blueberry fruits can be stored for one and a half months at temperatures close to zero. Blueberry plants are kept in such conditions for 15 days. The fruits are transported in small boxes, folded in three or four layers. Both types of berries are frozen or dried and used for various preparations and fillings.

Advice! The leaves of both plants are suitable for medicinal purposes.

Conclusion

Blueberries and blueberries are valuable for health, there is very little difference between their properties. Garden crops, differing from wild plants, have similar healing qualities. By following the tips for growing shrubs, you get vitamin-rich berries for your own consumption.