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foodandwine120I’d like to start with a comment I received from a reader regarding my last column on tipping.  While I described how I determined the size of my tip based on the service I received at each meal, she brought to my attention a very different point of view.  When she visits a neighborhood restaurant where she dines frequently, she always tips well, even if the service isn’t good, because she wants to receive a warm welcome on her next visit.  My father felt that way too.  It meant a lot to him have the server say something like, “Welcome back Mr. Stark, It’s so good to see you again.” I can certainly identify with this point of view and you might too.

Now, let’s move on to some berry important thoughts about blueberries.

I think, by now, we all know that blueberries are very healthy – loaded with vitamin C, potassium and fiber.  They’re also chock full of polyphenols and other antioxidants, notably anthocyanins which account for their blue coloring. In lab studies, blueberries have blood sugar-lowering, anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective and anti-cancer effects.

This week I’d like to focus on some items that are not as well known.

Some experts think that if you mix blueberries with milk, you lose some of the antioxidants in the berries. There was a small Italian study which appeared in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, which confirmed this theory. People who ate blueberries with milk had less polyphenols in their blood compared to people who ate the berries by themselves or in water. Whole milk decreased the polyphenols more than skim milk suggesting that fat was the culprit. Other studies have not confirmed this but it is food for thought, so-to-speak.

Cooking blueberries does not seem to affect the antioxidant quantity. In some tests, blueberries have been microwaved, pan-fried or baked and the level of antioxidants remained constant.  In fact, as with carrots, if you pan fry them for a short time you break down the cell walls releasing the antioxidants.

Wondering about freezing blueberries?  Not a problem. The most definitive study, performed in Australia in 2004, found that after three months of freezing, the blueberries had no change in antioxidants. The same result has been confirmed in dried blueberries.  (This is all berry good news, don’t you think?)

If you want to avoid pesticides in blueberries, look for organic.  Organic berries also have more anthocyanins, and other polyphenols and antioxidants than conventionally grown blueberries.  However there is a large discrepancy from farm to farm and it’s virtually impossible for you and me to tell the difference on the supermarket counter or on a farmer’s market stand.

You can can (sounds like a French dance) blueberries, dry them, or freeze them so you’ll have them available when they’re not in season.  I buy them in quantity when they are in season and less expensive, like now, and freeze them.  I always rinse my berries with the sink sprayer but I never wash them before freezing.  I don’t like them shrouded in ice crystals.

But with all the good news, there is something to be wary about. Watch out for blueberries used in pie fillings and jams.  Most manufacturers add a lot of sugar to these. 



Click here to send comments to me.  I will answer each one personally and will print those that are of general interest.

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