blueberry

Introduction

English name: Blueberry, which means blue berry, belongs to Ericaceae, Vaccinium genus. Originated from North America, it is a perennial shrub with small berries. Because the fruit is blue, it is called blueberry.

One is a low shrub, wild and short, with small grains and rich anthocyanins; the second is artificially cultivated blueberries, which can grow to 240cm in height, with larger fruits and full flesh, which improves the taste of wild blueberries and enhances the body's absorption of anthocyanins. There are more than 400 species of Vaccinium plants distributed throughout the world, mainly produced in the United States and also known as American blueberries. Wild blueberries in my country are mainly produced in Changbai Mountain, Greater Khingan Mountains and Lesser Khingan Mountains, and most of them are in the Greater Khingan Mountains. Artificial domestication and cultivation have only been successfully carried out in recent years. my country's research on blueberries began in the early 1980s, when the Small Berry Research Institute of Jilin Agricultural University took the lead in entering the field of blueberry research and established the first blueberry industrial production base.

Nutritional value of blueberries

Blueberry is also called blueberry and lingonberry. The nutritional value of blueberry is that it has a very high content of anthocyanins and is rich in vitamins, proteins, and minerals. The ways to cook blueberry include blueberry muffins, blueberry orange snow, blueberry desserts, ice cream blueberry tarts, blueberry yam, blueberry smoothie, blueberry cheese cups, blueberry mint tea, blueberry bagels, blueberry tofu, blueberry spare ribs, blueberry beef meatballs, whitening blueberry lettuce, blueberry sandwich cake, blueberry jam cookies, chocolate blueberry cake, and blueberry frozen cheese ice cream.

1. Anthocyanins

Anthocyanin is a very important plant water-soluble pigment, a pure natural anti-aging nutritional supplement, and the most effective antioxidant bioactive agent discovered by humans. The content of anthocyanin in blueberries is very high, and the types of anthocyanin are also very rich. Studies have found that highbush blueberries contain as many as 15 types of anthocyanin components. Although the content of anthocyanin in different varieties of blueberries is not the same, the general content is relatively high.

2. Total acid and organic acid

The organic acid content in blueberries accounts for more than half of the total acid content. Most of the organic acids are citric acid, and others include ursolic acid, quinic acid, and malic acid. Ursolic acid, also known as ursolic acid, is a weakly acidic pentacyclic triterpenoid compound. It is a functional component of many natural products and has a wide range of biological activities, especially in anti-tumor and other aspects.

3. Phenolic acid

Blueberries contain a variety of polyphenols, of which phenolic acid is an important type. Phenolic acid is a type of phenolic substance with good nutritional functions and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant activity. There are more than ten types of phenolic acids in blueberries, among which the highest content is chlorogenic acid, also known as caffeic acid. Studies have found that it has a significant inhibitory effect on a variety of cancers (lung cancer, esophageal cancer, etc.), and its antioxidant effect is also very strong.

4. Superoxide dismutase

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an acid metal enzyme widely present in organisms. It is an important free radical scavenger in organisms. Its main function is to specifically remove superoxide anion free radicals produced in biological oxidation. It is known as the "health gold of the 21st century". Blueberries are rich in SOD. Although the SOD content in different varieties of blueberries is slightly different, the overall difference is not large.

5. Pectin

Pectin is a general term for a class of polysaccharide polymers. Scientific research has found that pectin can effectively remove undigested chyme and other toxic substances in the intestines. It also helps regulate blood sugar and intestinal microflora balance after meals. It also plays a good role in preventing and assisting in the treatment of many modern "civilization diseases." Blueberries are rich in pectin, about 1-3 times the pectin content of ordinary apples or bananas.

6. Pterostilbene

Pterostilbene is named after the plant Pterostilbene where it was first discovered. In 2004, scientists first isolated Pterostilbene from berry fruits such as blueberries and grapes. Studies have found that Pterostilbene also has good antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects. Pterostilbene's role in anti-cancer has also attracted great attention, especially in the fight against colon cancer, where it has shown very promising results.

In addition to being rich in the above-mentioned nutrients, blueberries also contain substances such as tannins and sodium benzoate. For this reason, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has identified blueberries as one of the five healthiest foods for humans.

The efficacy and effects of blueberries

Blueberries can effectively lower cholesterol, prevent atherosclerosis, and promote cardiovascular health; they can enhance heart function, prevent cancer and heart disease, prevent brain nerve aging, enhance brain power, strengthen vision, and reduce eye fatigue. In addition, blueberries can also treat common colds, sore throats, and diarrhea.

The juice yield of bilberry is 80-85%, the sugar content of juice is 80-110 g/L, the total acid content is 20-25 g/L, and the tannin content is 1.5-2.5 g/L. However, the disadvantage is that it can easily stain lips, teeth and skin. Once stained with juice, it is difficult to wash off and it takes a few days to fade slowly. However, there is a decolorization technology applied to bilberry juice, which can solve this problem. The bilberry wine made from juice is purple-red, transparent and clear, with a sour and sweet taste, which is suitable for people with low alcohol tolerance.

The fruit vinegar made from the pomace left after squeezing the bilberry juice is rich in nutrients, can regulate metabolic balance, improve the body's detoxification and immunity, and has a strong anti-cancer effect; it has a strong ability to decompose alcohol, has a good hangover effect, and can control the secretion of skin oil, and has a certain beauty and skin care effect. The tannin content of the stems and leaves of bilberry is 6%, which can be used to extract tannin.

Medicinal Value of Blueberries

Blueberries are also rich in trace minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Blueberries can effectively lower cholesterol, prevent atherosclerosis, and promote cardiovascular health. They have the effect of enhancing heart function, preventing cancer and heart disease, preventing brain nerve aging, and enhancing brain power. They can enhance vision and reduce eye fatigue. Blueberries can also treat common colds, sore throats, and diarrhea.

Side effects and contraindications of blueberries

Although the benefits of blueberries are numerous, you still need to be careful when eating them. People who already have heart disease or are suffering from diarrhea should avoid eating blueberries to avoid aggravating their original symptoms and being detrimental to their health.

How to eat blueberries

Chocolate Blueberry Cake

Ingredients: 6 egg whites, flour, etc.

practice:

1. Mix salad oil and water, and beat with a manual egg beater until no obvious oil spots are visible;

2. Sift in low-gluten flour and corn starch, and mix well with a rubber spatula;

3. Because the batter is very dry, add a little egg white paste to the batter and stir evenly with a manual egg beater.

4. Add a few drops of white vinegar to the egg whites, add white sugar in three batches, beat until hard foam, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate;

5. Because the batter is very dry, add a little egg white paste to the batter first.

6. Bake in the upper-middle layer of the oven, with upper and lower heat at 150 degrees for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients: 200g flour, 140g fresh blueberries, 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil, 110ml skim milk, 2 tablespoons butter, melted, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 100g fine white sugar

practice:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking pan that can hold 12 muffin cups with a little oil and set aside.

2. Mix 4 tablespoons of flour and blueberries and set aside. Gently beat egg whites and 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl, then add milk and melted butter and stir.

3. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Sift the dry ingredients into the egg white sauce using a fine sieve and stir until the flour is just wet. The dough should be puffy at this point. Be careful not to over-mix. Wrap the blueberries in the dough. Fill each paper cup 2/3 full with dough. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins are brown.

Blueberry Orange Snow

Ingredients: 2 servings, or a large serving for 1 person. 1 cup (250ml) of blueberries, 8 pieces of frozen orange juice (freeze the orange juice in a household ice cube tray in advance)

practice:

1. Wash the fresh blueberries, drain the water, and blend them thoroughly with orange juice and ice cubes in a blender.

2. You can also use frozen blueberries, which will make the texture more like a smoothie. Using fresh blueberries will make the drink more liquid.

Blueberry Frozen Cheese Ice Cream

Ingredients: 1 medium spoon of rum or brandy, some cotton sugar, some blueberry jam, some blueberries, two small packets of blueberry flavored QQ candy

practice:

1. Put the biscuits into a fresh-keeping bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

2. First, mix the butter and cocoa powder evenly, then add the biscuit crumbs and mix evenly.

3. Place tin foil on the movable bottom plate of the cake mold, put the crushed biscuits in and press them firmly and evenly with your hands.

4. Put two small packets of blueberry QQ candy into two bowls respectively, add some water to each. One of them should not have too little or too much water. It should look like twice the amount of QQ candy. Just put a little water in each. Put it in the microwave to melt, stir evenly and set aside to let it cool down for later use.

5. Cut the cheese into small pieces and stir with a whisk. Add cotton sugar and beat into a paste. It's fine as long as the grains are not too obvious.

6. Beat the whipped cream until 70% to 80% fluffy, add in the cheese paste and continue stirring evenly. Add the completely cold and evenly mixed QQ sugar water little by little in the bowl with more water, and mix well.

7. Pour the mixed paste into the mold and put it in the freezer. When it is cold and not very soft, pour another bowl of QQ sugar water into it, add some blueberries, and put it in the refrigerator to freeze.

Blueberry Dessert

Material:

A: Sugar, butter, 1 egg, vanilla extract, medium flour, baking powder, salt, milk, blueberries.

B: brown sugar, flour, cinnamon powder (optional), butter.

practice:

1. Use material A first. Soften the butter at room temperature, add sugar and stir until the color becomes lighter;

2. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mix well into egg paste;

3. Mix the powders and sift;

4. Add half of the egg mixture to the flour, add milk and mix well, then add the other half of the egg mixture and mix;

5. Pour the batter into a square baking pan and smooth it out. Place the blueberries on top;

6. Mix all the B materials evenly and spread them on the top;

7. Preheat the oven to 350oF and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into it comes out without any wet batter.

Ice Cream Blueberry Tart

Ingredients: 200g puff pastry, 45g ice cream, 27 blueberries, some powdered sugar, a few basil leaves (9 pieces)

practice:

1. One sheet of puff pastry, about 200 grams. If you don’t want to bother making the puff pastry yourself, you can use three to four sheets of puff pastry overlapping each other instead.

2. After the puff pastry softens at room temperature, spread flour on both sides and roll it into a long piece 0.6cm thick.

3. Carve out the shape of a hexagonal mousse ring on the dough.

4. Use the bottom of a large nozzle to carve a circle in the middle of the hexagonal dough.

5. Place the cut dough on a baking tray.

6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, upper and lower fire, middle layer, about 10 minutes

7. Place the baked puff pastry on a plate.

8. Use a ball scoop to scoop the ice cream into small balls.

9. Fill the middle of the tart crust and press firmly with the back of a spoon.

10. Place blueberry pieces on the surface, sift with powdered sugar, and finally add basil leaves for decoration.

Blueberry Jam Cookies

Ingredients: 112g low-gluten flour, 15 egg yolks, 25g soybean powder, 70g white sugar, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, some blueberry jam

practice:

1. Soften the butter at room temperature, add sugar and beat until the volume increases and the color becomes lighter, then add egg yolk and mix well.

2. Add the sifted flour into the butter and mix until there is no dry powder.

3. Take 25 grams of dough, knead it into a round shape and place it on a baking tray. Poke a hole with your finger and fill it with blueberry jam.

4. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Yams

Ingredients: 1 yam, 100 grams of blueberry jam.

Ingredients: 100ml water; 50g rock sugar; 100ml light cream; 1/4 teaspoon (1g) salt.

practice:

1. Rinse the outer layer of soil off the yam, put on kitchen rubber gloves, and use a scraper to scrape off the outer skin of the yam. Then wash it with water. There is a layer of white transparent mucus on the yam flesh, which will be very itchy if it gets on the skin. Therefore, when peeling and washing yam, remember to wear kitchen rubber gloves. After the yam is steamed, there is no need to worry.

2. Pour water into the steamer, bring to a boil over high heat, add the cut yam, and steam over high heat for 20 minutes until the yam is soft. The varieties of yam vary from place to place. When buying, remember to ask the supermarket staff or the vendors in the vegetable market which yam has a soft texture. There is a type of yam that has a crispy texture and is not suitable for this dish.

3. Pour water into a small pot, add blueberry jam and rock sugar, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and continue to simmer until the blueberry jam and water become viscous, then pour out and cool. The blueberry jam will taste better after being diluted with water and simmered with rock sugar or honey. It is not recommended to pour blueberry jam directly on top. The color is too dark and too viscous, and it will form a black mass, which is not very good looking.

4. After the yam is steamed, poke it with chopsticks. If there is no hard core in the middle and it can be easily penetrated, take it out and let it cool slightly. While the yam is still warm, put it on the chopping board, crush it with a knife, then put it in a bowl and use a spoon to press it into a finer paste without any lumps.

5. Add salt and whipped cream to the yam puree and mix thoroughly. Put the piping nozzle into the piping bag, add the yam puree, and then squeeze it into the cup. Finally, pour the blueberry jam on it.

Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients: blueberries, high-quality imported blueberry jam

Method: Use fresh blueberry juice or sweet blueberry juice, pour into ice mold box, put into refrigerator for two hours. Then take out the solidified blueberry ice cubes, put into the juicer, add appropriate amount of blueberry juice and crush together. Pour into a cup, add some small decorations, and a cup of purple-blue transparent blueberry smoothie with fruity aroma is served.

Blueberry Layer Cake

Ingredients: 70g unsalted butter, 50g fine sugar, 2 large eggs, 140g low flour, and appropriate amount of blueberry jam.

practice:

1. After the unsalted butter softens at room temperature, add fine sugar and beat evenly.

2. Add eggs in batches and beat with a whisk. Add the egg liquid in batches and continue adding after it is fully blended.

3. Sift the low flour into the egg and oil mixture, and mix into a uniform batter with a rubber spatula.

4. Use a rubber spatula to scoop the batter into about 1/2 of the paper mold. Use a spoon to dig a depression in the middle of the batter and fill it with some jam.

5. Use the batter to cover the jam completely until the paper mold is 80% full.

6. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Blueberry Yogurt Cups

Ingredients: 100 grams of blueberries, 1 pack of whole-wheat biscuits (I used Ritz bran biscuits), and yogurt.

practice:

1. Put the biscuits into a food bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

2. Put the washed blueberries into a blender and blend them into puree.

3. Put the cookie crumbs in a glass.

4. Pour in appropriate amount of yogurt.

5. Pour in appropriate amount of blueberry puree.

6. Add appropriate amount of biscuit crumbs.

7. Pour in an appropriate amount of yogurt and finally add blueberries for decoration.

Blueberry Mint Tea

Ingredients: 2 grams each of blueberry leaves, rose petals, hibiscus flowers, lemongrass, safflower, tangerine peel, and mint leaves, and 2 slices of ginger.

Method: Put all the ingredients into a cup, add 500 ml of boiling water, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, then you can drink.

Blueberry Bagel

Ingredients: 225g French bread flour, 25g rye flour, 13g white sugar, 5g salt, 3g dry yeast, 150g water, 75g blueberries.

practice:

1. Mix all the ingredients except blueberries thoroughly, add blueberries, mix well, and start the first fermentation (40 minutes);

2. Divide, roll into balls, and relax for 15 minutes;

3. Take out a dough, seal it upwards, and roll it into an oval shape;

4. Fold the top to the middle, and then fold the bottom to the middle;

5. Finally, fold it in half, pinch it up and down, and stretch it;

6. Flatten one end and wrap the other end to make a ring. Place it on a baking tray and start secondary fermentation (30 minutes).

7. Bring a wide pot to a boil, turn to low heat, and add the dough that has been fermented twice;

8. Bake for 15 seconds on each side, then place directly into an oven preheated to 200 degrees;

9. Middle level, 16 minutes.

Blueberry Tofu

Ingredients: 250g hot soy milk, 2 tablespoons CJ blueberry jam, 20g chestnut powder, 4g agar, 50g water.

practice:

1. Pour chestnut powder into a container;

2. Pour clean water in small amounts several times and stir with chopsticks until it becomes a paste without lumps;

3. Soak agar in clean water in advance;

4. Take a cup of hot soy milk;

5. Pour the soy milk and chestnut paste into the soaked agar;

6. Add appropriate amount of rock sugar and cook the agar completely over medium heat;

7. When the soy milk agar solution has cooled down, pour in an appropriate amount of CJ blueberry jam and mix thoroughly;

8. Pour into a fresh-keeping box and wait for it to solidify naturally;

9. Turn the container upside down, cut the solidified blueberry tofu into pieces and put them into a bowl;

10. Pour in an appropriate amount of rock sugar water, then pour a little blueberry jam and blueberry pulp on it and it is ready to eat.

Whitening Blueberry Lettuce

Ingredients: 20g lettuce, 10g spinach leaves, 10g cherry tomatoes, 50g corn strips, half an apple, 20g purple cabbage, 20g alfalfa sprouts

Seasoning: 50g blueberry jam, 60ml plain yogurt, 10ml lemon juice

practice:

1. Wash lettuce, spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts.

2. Wash the corn strips, cut them into sections, put them into boiling water and cook them, then cut off the corn kernels.

3. Wash the apples, remove the seeds, slice them, and soak them in salt water; wash the purple cabbage, cut it into shreds, and soak it in ice water.

4. Put the salad dressing into a bowl and mix well.

5. Drain all the water, put it in a salad plate, pour salad dressing on it and serve.

Blueberry Short Ribs

Ingredients: 200 grams of small ribs, 50 grams of prune meat, 2 beautiful tomatoes of the same size.

Seasoning: 15 grams of salt, 50 grams of salad oil, 10 grams of dark soy sauce, 10 grams of sugar, blueberry jam, fennel, chives, and ginger.

practice:

1. Cut the ribs into 3 cm long pieces, put them into the pot and cook, and skim off the impurities.

2. Add water to the small pot again, put in the scallion, ginger, spareribs and prune meat, dark soy sauce, salt and sugar, and fennel. Stew for one hour, then take out and drain.

3. Pour salad oil into the pan, keep the heat at medium, put the ribs into the pan one by one and fry until the surface is crispy.

4. Mix with prune meat and blueberry jam, put into opened tomatoes and serve.

Blueberry Beef Meatballs

Ingredients: 200 grams of ground beef, 50 grams of Dashida barbecue sauce, 1 teaspoon of coarse mustard seeds, 15 grams of breadcrumbs, 4 tablespoons of milk, and appropriate amount of CJ blueberry jam.

practice:

1. Slice the beef and chop it into fine meat filling;

2. Add Dashida barbecue sauce and stir evenly with chopsticks;

3. Add 1 teaspoon of coarse mustard seeds;

4. Add milk to the bread crumbs, soak them completely and pour into the meat filling;

5. Use chopsticks to stir in one direction until it is evenly mixed;

6. Then dip a little cooking oil in the palm of your hand, take a small piece of meat filling and knead it into a ball.