Finding Wild Blueberry Patches

Where to look

Look for exposed rocks. Northern Minnesota is known for it's wonderful exposed rock. Some how plants and trees are able to grow in the cracks of these exposed rocks.

Jack Pine trees are good friends of blueberries. Red (Norway) Pine are enemies of blueberries; the acid in the needles kills all plant life under it.

There are other locations that seem to be common among the blueberry patches. Look on the east or southeast side of the rock hill. Blueberries like some sunlight, but do not grow particularly big in direct sunlight. They actually grow best in a lightly shaded sunlight, pull back the top leaves, or look under ferns to find the clusters of berries hanging near the ground.

Some of the best berry patches have a swamp at the bottom. The direct link between the swamp and a good blueberry patch is unknown. Maybe moose, maybe insects, maybe moisture. But if it has some wet land at the bottom, that's usually is a good sign.

Burned areas will produce wonderful blueberry patches for years and years. Places like the recent Ham Lake Fire will be a jewel for future blueberry picking.

Above all, remember these are guidelines and not hard fast rules. The blueberry is a hardy little fellow that can grown in adverse places, but at the same time is so delicate that lower rain falls will cause them to not grow at all.

What to bring

Bring pales, smaller pales are psychologically better as you feel you're making more progress. Bring a baking pan or long shallow box to put the berries in while traveling. You'll get more smooshed blueberries if you go down a bumpy road with them in a bucket. Bug dope is usually necessary, your enemies are deer flies, gnats, and the tactical fighter mosquito. Sun tan lotion and a hat to keep the sun off. Bears can be found in the berry patch so it's recommended to bring pepper (bear) spray or if you're a little more aggressive a hand gun.

A good berry patch with plump berries will produce enough to fill an ice cream bucket in about two hours.

When to look

Red, White, and Blueberry. Around the Fourth of July is the best time to check your blueberry patches. Most likely they will not be ready at this time, but you should know when that patch will be ready. If there are green berries on the bush, then you only have a few more weeks to wait.

Mid to late July is the height of the blueberry season.

Friends and Foes of Blueberries

Drought is a the largest enemy along with cold winters with no snow. Blueberries love forest fires such as the one on Ham lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. As mentioned, blueberries hang around Jack Pine trees, but not Red Pine trees.

Moss and ferns also aid in the growth of blueberries. If you find a rocky hill with ferns, pull them back to see if they are harboring buried blue treasure.

What to do with Blueberries

First take them home and sort out the good and bad. Handful by handful pick out leaves, sticks, stems, and bad berries. Then you can put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them. Don't wash them, they will stick together when frozen. You can wash them after you thaw them, but really it's not necessary if no pesticide has been applied to them.

Blueberry pancakes, blueberry coffee cake,and blueberry pie are just a few recipes you can cook up with these scrumptious blue buddies.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

From WebMD.

Blueberries contain a powerful cholesterol- and fat-fighting compound, USDA researchers report.

You already know blueberries are good for you. They're already touted as antioxidant-rich fruits that protect against the ravages of aging, heart disease, and cancer. Now add potential cholesterol-fighting effects to the list of blueberry benefits, suggests Agnes M. Rimando, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Products Utilization Research Center in Oxford, Miss.

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/news/20040823/blueberries-ma...

Blueberries have been known to be very high in anti-oxidants that help fight cancer and other heart diseases.