The North American Blueberry Council marks August as national blueberry month in Canada.

Did you know that blueberries are native only to North America?  Did you also know that blueberries are an antioxidant powerhouse that help with aging, fight oxidative stress, may help prevent colon cancer, and may also enhance your memory not to mention that they are delicious to eat.

Blueberries are also on the Dr. Oz’s Anti Aging Checklist on Oprah.com, Healthy Eating in Your Golden Years – Canadian Institute of Health Research, The Top 25 Healthy Fruits – Canadian Living, and Blueberries Support Heart Health – Natural Products Insider.

Just east of Ottawa, Cannan Blueberries is the perfect “pick your own” blueberry farm that is open to the public during the peak blueberry season, which is usually late July to end of August.  It’s the perfect opportunity to let your kids explore and learn about one of the world’s greatest berries. To aid in your adventure I also came across these blueberry educational resources:

• Wild blueberry school kit
• Pictures and film kits of wild blueberries
• How wild blueberries grow
• Blueberry health benefits
• Blueberry Nutrition Facts

Growing up in Nova Scotia where picking wild blueberries is just a part of life is something I will always treasure. Here are some blueberry recipes that I would love to share with you:

• Nova Scotia Blueberry Muffins
• Wild Blueberry Jam
• Blueberry Grunt
• Wild Blueberry Chicken
• Wild Blueberry Explosion
• Make Ahead Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
• Wild Blueberry Cornbread Stuffing
• Blueberry Crumble Pie
• Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Wild Blueberry Sauce
• Blueberry Pecan Glazed Chicken

My family’s favourite blueberry recipe is what we like to call “Blueberry Fruit“:

Add just enough water to cover the blueberries in pot, add sugar or sweetener to suit your taste and bring to a boil, turn the temperature down to low for about 5 more minutes until the fruit turns purple.  Then you simply let cool and serve with anything you like on biscuits, on ice cream, or straight out of the bowl. Keeps well in fridge for about 2 weeks. Enjoy!

And don’t forget to add Wild Blueberry Wine to your wine tasting list!

Want to learn more, subscribe to the Wild Blueberry Health News Newsletter.

If you know of any great wild blueberry picking patches in and around the Ottawa Valley be sure to drop us a comment below – we would love to know where your favourite blueberry picking spot in Ottawa is!