Nutritional Benefits of Blueberry Plants

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There are many wonderful benefits of having blueberry plants in your garden and many ways that you can use them. Blueberry intake has been proven to burn fat and to lower your triglycerides and cholesterol. Recent USDA research has concluded that the antioxidant in blueberries can have an effect on protecting arterial cells by lowering your blood levels of LDL cholesterol. Health benefits are one reason to grow your own, but the taste of fresh blueberries is possibly the biggest reason.

Any kind of dairy food goes well with raspberries and blueberries. Cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese and ice cream would all be considered to be natural partners for blueberries. Spices like vanilla, black pepper, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon can be used to liven up most blueberry dishes. Meats like chicken, pork and game love the fruity flavor that is added with fresh blueberries and raspberries.

Blueberries can also be added to drinks like lemonade, mixed drinks and iced tea for a fabulous flavor boost with nutritional value. If you like milk shakes, you can add some blueberries or raspberries to the pre-made drink or use a blender to make your own. Frozen yogurt is also pretty popular these days and the kids will even enjoy having a blueberry yogurt treat for an after school snack.

Granola mix is another good after school snack where you can include the fruit from your blueberry plants. Most children like granola, raisins, blueberries and oatmeal. You can combine them all into a mix that will be good for them and delicious too. Actually, any type of seeds and nuts will go well with blueberries, so you can add walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts and pecans into the mix. Smoothies are other options for using the blueberries for nutritional afternoon snacks. Blend frozen yogurt and blueberries in a blender to make a sweet snack that is also healthy for them.

When you are baking fruits, such as blueberries and raspberries, you should keep a few things in mind. Sometimes blueberries drop in batter when in the preparation stage letting the fruit to fall to the bottom of the dish. The thickness and density of the batter is important for the gravity so that the berries don't sink. In order to prevent this type of dropping, you can do one of two things. You can spread half the batter into the pan and add a layer of blueberries, before topping it off with the remaining batter. Alternatively, you can coat the berries with starch or flour before you start to stir them into the batter. This will lessen the chance for dropping. Blend them well while stirring, but do not over stir or you will have too much air in the batter.

Another good tip while baking with the fruit from your blueberry plants is to keep a proper alkaline level so that the berries retain their beautiful blue color. Too much lemon juice or vinegar will turn them red and excessive amounts of baking soda will turn them a greenish-blue color. Whether you use freshly picked or frozen berries, wait until the end of the mixing cycle to blend them in so that the colors won't streak or bleed into the finished goods.

When you have your own blueberry plants, you can enjoy blueberry juice anytime you like. Simply place them in the food processor and puree them into juice with pulp or drain the juice, if you prefer juice without the pulp. Some of the nutrients will be lost in the discarded pulp, so it is best to drink it the way it is made.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Sandy Winslow is a writer on topics relating to health and wellness. Not only are the fruit from the blueberry plants delicious, they also are very beneficial to your health.

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