Blueberry Facts & Frozen Pops Recipe

July is National Blueberry Month! This plump, sweet fruit packs an antioxidant punch in a small package.

Blueberries are great for kids because they are easy to hold in little hands, they require no peeling, hulling or pitting, and they are great sources of vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. The peak season for blueberry picking is in July, so grab the kiddos and the sunscreen, and visit one of the awesome blueberry farms right here in the North Carolina Mountains. 

Here are some fun facts about blueberries to teach the kids while on your blueberry-picking adventure:

• Blueberries are a native plant to North America, and the United States is the world’s largest producer of the fruit.​
• If you spread the annual harvest of North American blueberries in a single layer, it would cover a four lane highway from Chicago to New York!
• Blueberries grow on bushes. The parent plants are perennial, deciduous bushes.
• The darker the blueberry color, the higher the antioxidant amount and the more anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are the antioxidant coloring compounds that make blueberries blue.
• When picking blueberries, always pick the ones that range in color from deep purple or blue to blue-black. They should also have a silvery sheen called a bloom. This silvery color is a natural protective wax coating.
• The long periods of cool weather during the winter months allow the flower buds to develop properly. In the Spring, they produce white or pink flowers, which is where the blueberries form. Blueberries grow in clusters and take anywhere from 60-120 days to ripen.
• There are over 40 varieties of blueberries! The most commonly planted blueberry is the highbush.
• Once blueberry bushes are established, some can produce fruit for 20-30 years!
• A trick to remove blueberry stains from little fingers: lemon juice and baking soda.
  

Then try this simple but yummy recipe for a refreshing summertime treat featuring the fruit:

Blueberry Frozen Pops Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups blueberries (or any other fruit)
  
• 1/4 cups white sugar or 2 tablespoons liquid sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave, etc)
  
• 2 cups Greek yogurt (vanilla, fruit-flavored, or honey)
  

Directions: