Blueberry Juice

Blueberry juice is made from one of the most nutritious fruits on the planet, the blueberry. Blueberries are considered to be a superfood, and while it is well known that eating whole fruit is a lot better than consuming them in their juice form, it’s still better than drinking sodas and other artificial beverages. By weight and by volume, blueberry juice has more vitamins and minerals than whole blueberries, but you’ll lose out on the dietary fiber that the fruit provides.

Blueberry Juice Trivia

• Blue is a very rare color for fruits.
• The pigments that give the color to the blueberry have been thought to prevent multiple diseases.
• Blueberry juice has been used to dye everything from baskets, clothes, blankets, and even Easter eggs.
• If you’ve ever wondered what the color blue tastes like, then the closest thing you can taste is blueberry juice.

Blueberry Juice Buying Guide

If you’re in the mood for some pure blueberry juice, then you should be very careful and check the label. Here are some things that you should look out for.

• 100% Blueberry Juice, not from concentrate.
• It should be unsweetened
• It should contain no “Natural Flavorings.”
• It should be “Certified Organic.”
• It should not be a “Juice blend.”

You can also place a call to your local organic farms and order 100% pure blueberry juice from them if you want to make sure that the blueberry juice you’re getting is fresh and organic.

Blueberry Juice Production & Farming in Texas

Most of the blueberry juice being commercially produced has been diluted into a cocktail or has been blended with other juices. This is to reduce cost, increase shelf life, and make it more accessible to a lot of people.

Many organic blueberry farms in Texas offer pure blueberry juice for sale; this is the best source for blueberry juice as this way you’re sure that it’s direct-from-farm as well as it being free from any additives.

Many specialty stores and farmers’ markets also sell locally produced blueberry juice and concentrate, so it’s a good idea to give your local markets a visit if you don’t have any organic farms in your area.

Pesticides:

Since blueberries are on EWG’s dirty dozen list with over 50 different pesticide residues detected on them, it is always a good idea to get organic when it comes to blueberries. Even when purchasing blueberry juice, look for the organic sign label to ensure that the juice you’re buying isn’t contaminated with any pesticides.

Packaging:

Commercially produced blueberry juice is packed in PET bottles which are then sealed and pasteurized to avoid spoilage and to increase shelf life.

For juice purchased from local farms, they may be stored in PET or glass bottles, but they are most of the time not pasteurized.

Enjoying Blueberry Juice

Some people may find that pure blueberry juice is too “strong” for their tastes. It is recommended to dilute pure blueberry juice with at least a 3:1 ratio, using three parts of water for every part of blueberry juice. Some people will dilute it up to 5:1 due to pure blueberry juice being extremely strong.

A good way to prepare blueberry juice would be to find your desired ratio and make a big bottle or pitcher and store it in the fridge so that you’ll have ready-to-drink blueberry juice whenever you feel thirsty.

Blueberry juice can also be mixed with other juices to make excellent cocktails that are not only refreshing but also very delicious.

Blueberry juice is best enjoyed chilled or on ice.

Tip: If you prefer your blueberry juice on ice, reduce the ratio of blueberry juice to water. The melting ice will dilute it.

Storage:

Freshly made blueberry juice will keep in the fridge for three to four days, and it can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.

When freezing blueberry juice, it is a good idea to portion it out so that you can grab a portion and make some juice without going through the hassle of melting an entire batch to get some to make some beverages.

Make Your Own Blueberry Juice:

While it may be more cost-effective to purchase blueberry juice straight from the farm, nothing still beats the feeling of making your blueberry juice from scratch.

To make blueberry juice, you only need two items: blueberries and Water.

Ingredients:

250 grams Blueberries
250 grams Water

Just dump all of the ingredients into a blender, blend until smooth. Pour over ice and enjoy!

Make Your Own Blueberry Concentrate:

If you have a lot of blueberries that you can’t consume, then you can always make your own blueberry concentrate that you can use to make your own juice in the future.

Ingredients:

4 cups blueberries
¼ cup water

Place the blueberries in a pan along with the water and bring up to medium heat. Keep stirring to avoid scorching until the blueberries become soft. Once they start to break apart, turn off the fire and mash the blueberries in place. Let it cool down and strain the liquid through a cheesecloth or a very fine mesh strainer.

For easier usage, freeze them in an ice cube tray. Once they are frozen, transfer them to a Ziploc bag and get the juice cubes whenever you need them.

Nutrition:

• Carbs
  • The carbs from blueberry juice come from natural sugars that came from the fruit.
• Fiber
  • Blueberry juice contains no dietary fiber
• Vitamins and minerals:
  • Blueberry juice contains good levels of anthocyanins which have shown to improve insulin sensitivity.
  • Blueberry juice also blocks certain digestive enzymes making you feel fuller much longer.
  • Blueberry juice contains a high level of flavonoids, much higher than their fresh fruit counterpart.
    • Flavonoids have been shown to improve brain function and improve memory.