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Bilberries and blueberries: the differences between the berries and why they are often confused

Julia PeschanskayaLife

Blueberries and bilberries are very similar to each other not only in appearance but also in taste. They are healthy berries that contain a unique complex of vitamins and belong to the same Heather family.

Although these two berries ripen at the same time and look almost the same, they are still different. OBOZREVATEL learned the difference between fruits.

The size of the plant bushes. Bilberry reaches 1.5 meters in height and has rather hard and almost wooden stems, while blueberries grow up to one meter and have thin, grassy branches.

Bilberries are small and have a dark color on the outside and inside that can stain your tongue and clothes. The fruits grow on the branch separately from each other. Blueberries have large fruits that are dark blue with a white tint. The middle has a slight tinge of green and is almost colorless, so you can't get dirty. The berries most often grow in bunches on the branch.

Although the flavor is similar, bilberries taste better than blueberries. It has a rich flavor, often tart-sweet. Blueberries have a sweet and sour flavor.

Bilberries grow in the wild only, thus bushes can be found in forests and near bogs, while blueberries can be grown even in your garden if you have fertile soil. The plant should be planted in peaty and sandy or peaty and loamy well-drained soils. The reason is that it grows under coniferous trees in light acidic soil.

The berries of both plants ripen in July, but some varieties can be harvested as early as September.

Both bilberries and blueberries can improve health and well-being. They have important trace elements that are good for our bodies. They can also be frozen for the winter and made into compotes, jams and pies.

OBOZREVATEL previously shared how to freeze berries for the winter properly so that they are not soft and the juice doesn't leak.

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