Small, tasty berries teeming with nutritional benefits, blueberries pack both vitamins and anthocyanins (pigments that promote healthy blood flow) while fighting the atoms responsible for cellular aging. In Italy, blueberries tend to ripen during the summer on plants no higher than two-feet tall in the undergrowth of the Alps and the Apennine mountain ranges. Blueberries come in black, blue, and red varieties, the latter being cranberries, and all contain a high level of antioxidants, which help prevent certain cancers and heart disease.
Blueberries in the kitchen
Whether whole or boiled into a jam, blueberries are not just limited to muffins or other desserts. Northern Europeans reduce them into a jelly that accompanies wild game meat, and Italians often make risottos and compotes with blueberries as well as serve them alongside aged cheeses.
The best of blueberry sweets and confectionery
From cakes and cookies to canapés, blueberries make a delightful custard filling or a picture-perfect garnish. Frozen blueberries should be used for creams or compotes as they lose their solid consistency once thawed. You can make ice cream and sorbet as well as blueberry juice or even distill them into a light after-dinner brandy.
Fight rosacea and inflammation with blueberry or cranberry creams
Cranberries also boast cosmetic benefits due to their astringency, which combats skin imperfections like rosacea by strengthening the capillary walls.
A simple blueberry decoction to fight acne
Try this herbal remedy to help fight acne or oral inflammation.
Ingredients
Blueberries
Water
Cook the blueberries in just a little bit of water and apply them warm to the skin using gauze or a light cloth. You can also gargle the decoction to fight oral inflammation.