Forest Blueberries dried

Description

Gently dried and unsulfured organic forest blueberries with high natural content of blue and red plant pigments (= anthocyanins). Sweetened only with apple syrup, without refined sugar and without artificial additives. These wild blueberries come from wild growth, are full of micro and phytonutrients. Since wild blueberries have a red pulp in addition to the blue-black skin, their anthocyanin content is particularly high. Due to the dehydration, the valuable ingredients of the fresh blueberries are highly concentrated in the dried fruits. Therefore, forest blueberries also taste slightly sour, but more flavorful and juicy than cultivated blueberries. Perfect in porridge or muesli, on pancakes, in muffins and cakes or as an ingredient for fruit salad and homemade ice cream. Wild blueberries are characteristic, wild pleasure without remorse!

Advantages of our wild blueberries at a glance

• wild blueberries purely natural and particularly rich in content
• collected in the wild
• sweetened only with fruit juice
• antioxidant, rich in natural pigments (= anthocyanins)

What is special about Topfruits wild blueberries?

Our wild-collected forest blueberries are natural products without artificial additives. No refined sugar is used to sweeten the berries, only 5% natural apple syrup. Like all our dried fruits, this product does not contain colorants, flavorings or preservatives and is not sulfurized. In contrast to cultivated blueberries, dried forest blueberries are smaller, thoroughly red to blue-black in color and taste more acidic, intense and fruity. They are characterized by their high content of tannins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols and plant acids. As dried fruits, berries are less sensitive, keep better and retain their strong natural flavor even during prolonged storage. The price/vitality ratio of our dried blueberries is better than that of mytyllus extracts, which are offered as dietary supplements for much more money.

Anthocyanins – dried blueberries are rich in flavonoids

Forest blueberries are particularly original products directly from nature and therefore rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are very potent blue and violet plant pigments, which turn the tongue blue when eaten. They are also known from blue grapes, black mulberries or chokeberry berries. Anthocyanins, which belong to the flavonoids, provide cells with strong antioxidant protection. Anthocyanins are currently part of many scientific studies. We recommend that you conduct your own Internet research and study the relevant literature in this regard

Study on blueberry supplementation to reduce the risk of dementia

Previous studies show that blueberries can improve cognitive performance and influence metabolism and brain function. In a randomized controlled trial, the study objective was to determine whether blueberries could play a role in early intervention to prevent neurodegeneration (= processes that lead to loss of function and/or neuronal death).
The study included 33 overweight, insulin-resistant men and women aged 50 to 65 years who experienced a subjective decline in cognitive performance. Subjects underwent various assessments on cognition and metabolism before and after the intervention.
The 14-day study included either freeze-dried blueberry powder or a placebo to be consumed once daily with a meal. The performance of the blueberry group (15 subjects) improved significantly for the so-called mental lexicon and memory. In addition, subjects in the blueberry group reported reduced memory difficulties in activities of daily living.

The study results suggest that blueberry supplementation may help protect against cognitive decline when used early in vulnerable individuals.
(Krikorian R, Skelton MR, Summer SS et al, Blueberry Supplementation in Midlife for Dementia Risk Reduction Nutrients 4/2022)

Things to know about woodland blueberry (wild blueberry).

In wild blueberries, not only the skin but also the flesh is deep purple. The high content of these blue pigments makes the special value of fresh and dried forest blueberries. Therefore, the small blue berries are also called “caviar of the forest” by connoisseurs. The thick, sweet cultivated blueberries, on the other hand, are light inside and contain the blue anthocyanins only in the skin. Other names for the berries are blueberry, black berry, minor berry, wild berry, forest berry or cranberry. In common parlance they are also called Schnuderbeeri, Krähenauge, Heubeere, Bickbeere or Zeckbeere.

Origin and tradition of wild blueberry

The original home of wild blueberries is the North American continent. Native Americans called the fruit “star-berry” and considered it a gift from the gods. The first settlers also appreciated the berries and celebrated great feasts after the harvest, serving traditional specialties made with wild blueberries. These include, for example, blueberry muffins or blueberry pie. Even today, the so-called blueberries are very popular in the USA. But even in this country, wild blueberries still grow. Even the naturopath Hildegard von Bingen knew about the special effect of the blue berries, which can be traced back to their wealth of valuable plant substances. If forest blueberries are dried, these valuable antioxidants are present in concentrated form due to the removal of water.

Cultivation, harvesting & processing of our wild blueberries

The wild blueberries we offer are grown in the wild and are of organic quality. Forest blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) prefer semi-shady, moist locations and thrive best in forests. Since blueberries are ripening, they must always be harvested fully ripe. The berries reach their full maturity between July and August. Only in this limited time connoisseurs can buy the rarity on the market or in the store. For the rest of the year, dried wild blueberries are available from Topfruits. Our wild blueberries are harvested by hand, cleaned and gently dried. The dried fruits do not contain any colorants or preservatives and are sweetened only with a small amount of organic apple syrup.

Tips for eating dried blueberries

Forest blueberries taste great pure, in combination with other dried berries and nuts, or as an ingredient for various sweet dishes. To benefit from the valuable ingredients of blueberries, you can nibble the berries as they are or use them (almost) like fresh berries. They go well with all desserts, baked goods, in muesli or fruit salad, but also taste very delicious with desserts such as waffles, cakes or ice cream. In addition, the dried blueberries can also be super processed into jam or compote. Caution: Due to their strong coloring, the berries leave stains on hands, clothes and surfaces. Therefore, always be careful when eating 🙂

General information about our forest blueberries

Ingredients: 95 % blueberries*, 5 % apple syrup* – *from controlled organic cultivation
Storage: Keep away from heat and store airtight so that the berries do not dry out.
Shelf life: At least 3 months.