Blueray blueberries

The Blueray Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Blueray’) is a northern Highbush blueberry variety. This specific variety was developed by Michigan State University in the late 1970s.

Blueray is an early-midseason blueberry variety that ripens a few days before Bluecrop. The Blueray Blueberry is a new hybrid berry that was created by crossing two existing varieties of blueberries. This new berry has many benefits over its predecessors, including a higher concentration of antioxidants and a more vibrant flavor. The blueray blueberry is also larger and firmer than other blueberries. The dark-blue berries, with sweet, high-quality flavor, make Blueray an excellent choice for the home gardener.

The bush is vigorous, productive, and winter-hardy. It grows to a height of 4–6 feet. Blueray is widely planted throughout the Northeast and Midwest. The foliage has beautiful pink touches early as the leaves emerge and then fantastic fall color. This is one edible shrub that deserves to be added to the ornamental garden.

Blueray performs particularly well in areas with hot summers or very cold winters, and produces high quality berries with outstanding dessert flavor.

In the spring, Blueray blueberry bushes have cute bell-shaped blossoms that turn a rosy shade of pink before turning white and then becoming juicy, delicious berries. Blueray blueberries will be ready to harvest midseason, typically in July.

These blueberries are firm with a very sweet, high-quality flavor, perfect addition to baked goods and desserts.
Blueray blueberries

Fresh blueberries

There are three main types of blue that are native to the Eastern United States:
1. “Highbush”
2. “Lowbush” and
3. “Rabbiteye”

Most fresh market blueberries are from highbush plants and most processed blueberries are from lowbush plants. Highbush blueberries together with the other commercial blueberry species are ranked as the second most economically important berry after strawberries in the U.S.

Once the fruit is harvested, storage temperature is the most important postharvest factor affecting the keeping quality of the fruit. Fresh blueberries keep best at 32 °F and 85% relative humidity. Blueberries for fresh market should be plump, firm, uniformly blue; free from moisture, trash, and decay. The best harvest maturity is pH 3.43 - 3.73 and soluble solids of 10 - 15 percent.

Fresh blueberries are available year-round to U.S. consumers due to regional growing areas in the U.S. and imports from other countries.

Manual harvesting is best for high quality fresh market fruit and it is most important for growers of blueberries to provide top quality fruit. Fresh market fruit is generally harvested by hand. This allows selection of ripe fruit with little bruising. Pickers carry five-quart collection buckets on their belts. When filled, the worker will empty the buckets or exchange it for empty buckets with a harvest supervisor.

Blueberries for the fresh market are air cleaned to remove debris. All berries are then graded and sorted. Fruit destined for the fresh market are packed in clear plastic clamshells.

It is estimated that up to 40% of the fresh berries are used for culinary purposes and the remainder are eaten fresh.
Fresh blueberries

Highbush blueberry plants

There are three commercially important species of blueberries that are native to the Eastern United States:
1.“Highbush”
2.“Lowbush” and
3.“Rabbiteye”

Highbush blueberry is a native, upright, 6-12 feet tall, crown-forming shrub. The common name refers to the relatively tall stature of these plants. Twigs are yellow-green (reddish in winter) and covered with small wart-like dots. Leaves are deciduous, alternate, simple, elliptic or ovate, 1 to 3½ inches long and slightly waxy above with pubescence (hairs) at least on the veins beneath.

Highbush plants require fewer chilling hours to produce fruit and are well adapted to Florida and California’s moderate climate.

Blueberries grow best in a well-drained sandy loam, rich in organic matter. Clay soils can be made suitable for blueberries by adding organic matter (such as peat moss) and sand. In very poorly drained soils, blueberries may be planted in ridges 4 inches above the sur-rounding soil level.

Highbush blueberry has a root system devoid of root hairs, but the role of root hairs is often taken over by mycorrhizae. The extensive hyphae of these fungi in-crease the volume of soil that can be accessed by the plant and improve nutrient uptake. Moreover, ericoid mycorrhizal fungi protect roots against infection by pathogens, such as Phytophthora spp., increase the plants’ tolerance for stress-ful environmental conditions and influence plant growth and yield.

Highbush and lowbush species are the most common species grown for commercial production. Most fresh market blueberries are from highbush plants and most processed blueberries are from lowbush plants.

Highbush blueberry produces abundant fruit every year. Highbush blueberry is self-fertile, but cross-pollination increases fruit set and results in larger, earlier berries with more seeds

Highbush blueberries are eaten raw, smoke-dried, sun-dried, boiled, and baked in a wide variety of culinary settings. They have one of the highest concentrations of iron of the temperate fruits.
Highbush blueberry plants (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)