Small deciduous shrub, up to 1m in height, which belongs to the Ericaceous family (Ericaceae).

It has green angular and straight branches. The European blueberry has alternating, oval, leathery leaves with slightly serrated edges that are shed in autumn. These are light green or yellowish in colour with a short petiole.

The axilliar flowers that are small and green-pink in colour, with five petals and sepals, either appear alone or in drooping pairs. The fruit is a blue-black coloured berry with a pleasant bittersweet flavour.

The European blueberry originates from northern parts of Europe, North America and Asia and it grows in the undergrowth of mountainous areas, acidic soils, peat bogs and coniferous forests.

Wind is a limiting factor for berry production causing the fruit to fall and damaging it; a perimeter forest curtain therefore has to be used. The flowering season must be frost-free.

The European blueberry plant needs slightly acidic soils with a pH level of 4-5; acidifying its irrigation water in order to maintain this level.

Season: They are planted in pre-cultivated land during the autumn-winter period.

Planning: A distance of 1.2 to 1.5 metres must be left between plants. Planting density will be 2,000-2,500 plants per hectare.

Protection: A plastic covering will be applied during the first few years of growth. After this, they will be covered with pine bark in order to keep the soil moist.

Irrigation: Good quality irrigation water must be used that shows no signs of salinity or excesses of calcium, boron or chlorine.

Weeds: In order to avoid water and nutritional competition, and bearing in mind that the European blueberry has a surface root system, weeds must be eradicated using either systemic, contact or mechanical weed killers.

COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION

Specialised labourers will have to be employed as the blueberries are manually packed and wrapped. This is a selective process according to the fruit's ripeness; which depends on its colour and size, and means that up to 8 collections can be made per plant. Mechanical collection is used when the fruit is destined for industrial purposes.

STORAGE

Fresh blueberries, which can reach a shelf life of between 14 to 28 days, will be stored in cold chambers at a temperature of between -0.6º to 0º and a relative humidity of 95%.  

COMPOSITION

Fruit: Catechin tannins, anthocyanosides and flavonol heterosides.

Leaf: Flavonoides that come from quercetin (rutoside and avicularine), catechin tannins, triterpenic acids, iridoids, phenolyc acids, leucoanthocyanidin and chromium.

PROPERTIES AND USES

The dried fruit acts as an astringent and protects the vascular wall.

ACKNOWLEDGED USE

Diarrhoea, local treatment of minor nasopharyngeal membrane inflammations and prevents the aggregation of platelets. (European Commission and ESCOP)

COMMON USE

Aids blood vessels, capilliaries, retinopathies and haemorrhoidal disorders.

The leaves act as a hypoglycaemic.

Diabetes mellitus and for the prevention of gastrointestinal and renal illnesses and disorders, rheumatism, to stimulate the metabolism and cleanse the blood.  

DID YOU KNOW ?

The use of blueberry for ophthalmology comes from the empirical evidence that during the Second World War, RAF pilots, who consumed large amounts of bilberry jam, gave the impression that they had sharper night vision.