Blueberry season; Ask Dr. Science
June 13th, 2010 at 10:54 am ET
It’s blueberry season here in New York, and by that I mean not only that blueberries are ripe and sweet, but they’re for sale everywhere, from the supermarket to the food cart, at low prices. (Though not as low as last year.)
As a result I’ll be eating roughly a pint of blueberries per day from now until they disappear, and I’m reacquainting myself with the relative sweetness and deliciousness of the wares available from my various blueberry sources. (Last year, Jersey blueberries from Fairway were the most reliable, but the Mississipi blueberries I picked up this week at Fairway gave them a run for their money.)
I’m also musing on the following Dr. Science question: Crush a blueberry, say with a rolled-up newspaper, and it stains the newspaper blue (or, more precisely, purple). Crush a blueberry in your mouth and dribble the juice on, say, a kitten, and it stains the kitten blue. (I think.) But crush 500 or 1,000 blueberries in your mouth and swallow them, and the blue, uh, disappears! (Please don’t ask me to explain what I mean. Just ask a five-year-old.) Where does it go?
I’ve done my research (thanks, Internet) and am not satisfied with the answers — many of which seem to contradict the premise of my question by suggesting that the blue is in fact, uh, reemerging at the end of the, uh, rainbow, I’m just not noticing. (Not bloody likely!). So this will have to remain one of biochemistry’s little mysteries for now.
In the meantime, as long as you’re not worried about swelling up like Violet Beauregarde (and if it hasn’t happened to me yet, it probably isn’t going to), join me in enjoying one of summer’s treats. They’re delicious and good for you — and, at least here in New York City, at the moment they’re everywhere.
ShareThis
Rich Mintz blogs on online fundraising and social media, American history and culture, bicycling and urbanism, food, technology, and other topics. Professionally, he's an expert in fundraising, constituency development, and social media for nonprofits, cultural organizations, cause-related marketers, and corporations. He is based in New York, where he serves as Vice President, Strategy, for 
June 21st, 2010 at 8:16 am
[...] to be in the office unconscionably early this morning, but, as I’ve noted previously, blueberries make everything better. This morning’s haul, from the fruit seller at Fulton and Broadway, are Naturipe Farms [...]
August 8th, 2010 at 11:43 pm
[...] a straight shooter, but I amped up the blueberry content significantly. (In my opinion, as you know, the best use of a muffin is as an efficient delivery system for blueberries in [...]