The "Old School" Varities

Lots of people ask us what kind of varieties we have, and some people don't even know that there are different varieties so here are the "old school" varieties, with some useful information about them. Most of the older varieties were for taste and the newer varieties are being altered for shipping and looking good but not tasting good. At Sunset Valley we offer old school and new school. With the "new school" we are using practices that will hopefully improve the taste of the berry and still have it be able to ship well.

Note: a * indicates that we have that variety.

Bluecrop*- Ripens early mid season, just after Blueray. The fruit is large with small scar, has excellent color, firmness and good flavor. Its foliage is somewhat sparse but production is good. This berry is suitable for mechanical harvest. It is also the most popular variety in New Jersey and second most popular in Michigan.

Bluejay- Released by a Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. It is a mid season berry (about the same as Northland). The fruit is medium in size with long stems that aid in the mechanical harvesting. The bush is vigorous and upright.

Blueray*-An early mid season berry. It ripens a few days a head of Bluecrop. The fruit is very large and firm, and has a fair scar. It produces an aromatic flavor. The clusters are large and tight. The bush is a vigorous and productive. This berry is popular for the u-pick trade, but doesn't machine harvest well.

Elliott- This late season berry ripens two weeks after Jersey. The fruit is a medium size, firm, light blue, and has good flavor. The bush is very vigorous, upright, winter hardy, and productive. It is suitable for mechanical harvesting.

Jersey*- A late mid season berry. The fruit is small to medium sized , has a medium scar, fair color, fair flavor and is firm. The bush is very vigorous and productive. The clusters are long and loose. It is suitable for mechanical harvesting and is the most widely planted variety in Michigan. It is also favored for baking.

Nelson- The Nelson was released by the USDA in 1989. It ripens mid season with Berkeley. The fruit is large, firm, light blue, has good flavor and scar. The bush is vigorous, upright, and suitable for commercial and u-pick harvest. Yields have been high in test pleanting at Grand Junction, Michigan.

Patriot-An early season berry which ripens ahead of Blueray and about the same time as Northland. The fruit is large, small, scarred with good color, and has very good flavor. The bush is vigorous, upright, and relatively open. Test have proved it is very winter hardy. Recommend tof trial in commercial production. It is tolerant or resistant to some strains of Phytophthora Cinnamomi, a soil fungus that causes root rot.

Spartan-An early season berry. It ripens just ahead of Patriot. It has large, firm, light blue in color and had execellent flavor. The bush is vigiours, upright, open, and productive. Suitable for machine harvest. Early season ripening and large size fruit make this varitey very desirable for the u-pick trade.

Planting and Pruning Tips

Newly cleared land is best for planting since it usually contains more organic matter. Thoroughly work the soil for at least two years proceeding planting to subdue weeds and grasses. Add lime if the soil tests below pH 4.5 add sulfur to soils testing above pH 5.5 to acidify problem areas. When planting use 2 or 3 year old plants. Avoid plants older than 3 years old for commercial planting. Plant early in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Space the plants 4' apart in rows 10' apart. Set plants at the same depth as grown in the nursery. Mix a shovelful of acid peat with the soil in each planting hole when setting in sandy soils low in organic mater. Remove fruit buds, either before or soon after setting the plants. Cultivated berries are self fertile. However , if you want a long harvest season plant 2 or 3 varieties ripening in succession. Experiments indicate berries may be larger and slightly earlier- maturing when cross pollination dose occur. Most blueberry roots are close to the soil surface. Cultivate no deeper than 2 or 3 inches and only often enough to keep weeds in check.The blueberry needs annual pruning. Remove all the small spindly growth near the base of the plant. This will promote a more upright bush and keep the fruit away from the ground. Prune to remove dead and injured branches, fruiting branches close to the ground, spindly, bushy twigs on mature branches and old stems or parts low in vigor. Blueberry bushes which are pruned moderately each year produce larger berries, and tends to make the fruit ripen faster. Prune during dormancy, after the leaves have dropped in the fall, and during winter until buds swell in the spring.

Its all in the Soil: Healthy Soil: Healthy Blueberries

A new cut of our Video focusing on our unique composting system, and how it results in healthier soil, and healthier blueberries.

Blueberry juice sharpens memory in the aged

WASHINGTON - A few glasses of blueberry juice a day may help sharpen memory in the aged, says a new study.

Scientists have unearthed proof that blueberries, one of the richest source of healthy antioxidants and other phytochemicals, improve memory. The study establishes a basis for comprehensive human clinical trials to determine whether blueberries really deserve their growing reputation as a memory enhancer. Robert Krikorian, psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Centre and colleagues point out that previous animal studies suggest that eating blueberries may help boost memory in the aged.

Until now, however, there had been little scientific work aimed at testing the effect of blueberry supplementation on memory in people. In the study, one group of volunteers in their 70s with early memory decline drank the equivalent of 2-2 l/2 cups of a commercially availableblueberry juice every day for two months.

A control group drank some other beverage. The blueberry juice group showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests, the scientists say, according to a release of the American Chemical Society (ACS). “These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neuro-degeneration,” said the report.

The report appeared in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Source: Health News

Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat, Diabetes Risk

Thinking of your New Year's resolution? Want to lose weight? Eat healthier? Be more fit?
Try eating more Blueberries. A recent study published in Science Daily shows that Blueberries may help reduce belly fat and reduce diabetes risk.

The new research, presented April 19 at the Experimental Biology convention in New Orleans, gives tantalizing clues to the potential of blueberries in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The effect is thought to be due to the high level of phytochemicals – naturally occurring antioxidants – that blueberries contain.

Sunset Valley's Organic Frozen Blueberries are a perfect way to get your blueberries in winter. Lightly thawed, they are great on oatmeal, in smoothies, on yogurt, in salads, for baking, or just for snacking. They've got great nutrtition, and all the flavor of our fresh berries.

Frozen Blueberries- Nutrition and Flavor Year Round

In the spectrum of healthy fruits, Blueberries stand out—for their delicious taste, small size and big health benefits. With more antioxidant capacity per serving than most other fruits, frozen Organic Blueberries have a lot of what it takes to combat disease and promote healthy aging. Just a ½ cup of frozen Organic Blueberries satisfies one fruit serving and is a good source of dietary fiber. Visit the nutrition section of our site to get the scoop on the testing we've done to learn how nutrient-dense our organic blueberries are.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient and available year-round. What’s more, frozen makes it easy to get the colorful variety needed to ensure the widest range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Plus, the FDA has concluded that frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh and may even retain its nutritional value longer—all of which makes frozen an excellent value for consumers wanting to increase their intake while making the most of their food dollar.

So take a tip from the nutrition specialists...get your winter share of fiber, anti-oxidants AND a taste of summer, with Frozen Blueberries. Check out our recipes for many ways to use frozen blueberries