Blueberry Meadows has 11 main varieties of berries. The varieties have different flavors and textures and ripen at different times. Some are better suited to one use over another. The berries are listed in order of their ripening. The flavor of blueberries is an individual preference; what tastes good to one person may not suit the tastes of another.
Our Varieties:
EARLIBLUE - An early season berry. It is a firm, large to medium-sized berry with very good, sweet, aromatic flavor. It is good for both baking and fresh eating. It freezes, bakes, jams, and travels well.
REKA - An early season berry that ripens with Spartan. It is a medium sized, high-yielding, dark blue berry with excellent flavor and exceptional sweet-acid balance. It also freezes well.
SPARTAN - An early season berry that ripens with Reka. It is a firm, very large berry with outstanding flavor. It is excellent for straight eating and works well in baked goods where a large-sized berry is not a drawback. It freezes well, makes excellent jam, and travels well.
PATRIOT - An early season berry. A very large, slightly flat shaped berry with excellent flavor. It is a slightly softer berry and is good for fresh eating and baking in items for which its size would not interfere with the finished product (for example, better for pies, not muffins). We haven't made jam or frozen any, but expect it would do both well.
IVANHOE - An early mid-season berry. The berries range from large to medium. It has a wider range from tart to sweet and is aromatic and flavorful. Its full flavor is ideal for pies, cobblers, tarts, crisps, and other baked desserts. It is not suitable for shipping or traveling long distances. It freezes icier than the other berries, but the stronger flavor compensates.
BLUERAY - A mid-season berry. Its large size has an excellent visual effect that works well in non-baked foods such as cheesecake topping or in fruit salads. It works well in baked goods where a large-sized berry is not an obstacle. It is a good flavored, aromatic, somewhat softer textured berry that freezes, jams, and travels well.
BLUECROP - A mid-season berry. This berry is one of the industry standards for blueberries. It has excellent flavor, is slightly aromatic, and holds up well. It is a large, firm, all-purpose berry, good for eating, baking, and cooking. It travels and freezes well. The first couple of pickings produce a large berry while the later pickings are medium-sized.
BERKELEY - A mid-season berry. Its large size makes it visually appealing. It is a sweet, mild, less acidic berry and works especially well on cereal and oatmeal. It is a somewhat softer textured berry and is slightly aromatic. A good fresh eating berry which also freezes and jams well. Other berries are better for baking. It does not travel as well as some of our other berries.
N51G (EBERHARDT) - A late season variety. It is a medium-sized, softer, sweet berry, good for fresh eating. Before berries are named, they are given a number. This variety later became known as Eberhardt. We haven't frozen it, but based on its characteristics, we would expect it would freeze well. We have yet to try it for jam.
JERSEY - A late season berry. Its smaller size works especially well for muffins and pancakes. This is the sweetest berry we have, although it is not the most flavorful. It travels and freezes well. We have yet to try it for jam.
DIXI - A late season berry. This large to medium-sized berry is full-flavored and aromatic and lends itself to both fresh eating and baking. It is a slightly softer berry which freezes well and makes excellent jam and pie.