Comparing Blueberries and Bilberries

Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are a fruit that is very familiar to North Americans. It is native to the mixed temperate forests of eastern North America. However, Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) will be less familiar to the average North American. They are native to northern Europe, and while they are very similar to American Blueberries in a number of ways, they have hardly been cultivated for mass production. Typically bilberries are collected from wild forests, which is actually a surprisingly popular pass-time in Scandinavian countries.

There are a number of reasons that make bilberries unreliable as staple plants for agriculture. The skin on a bilberries is very thin, making it very likely that many berries will break while being transported. Blueberries have a slightly thicker skin meaning that berries burst a lot less frequently. The berries of V. corymbosum also grow in bunches, making them very easy to collect all at once. In contrast, V. myrtillus berries are more spread out on the bush making it more time consuming to collect the berries. Given these traits, bilberries are less successful as a cultivated fruit.

So how does one tell the difference between these two berries? Bilberries are smaller, however, it is worth noting that there is variation within each species and size alone is not necessarily a reliable identification trait. The skin of a blueberry is light blue with a yellow fleshy interior, while the bilberry skin is dark blue and the interior of the berry is a dark bluish purple. Additionally, I’ll mention that bilberry juice stains much more easily than blueberry juice.

Both species of Vaccinium are used in similar types of food. These berries are popular to add to pies, ice cream, pancakes, and yogurt among other things. While many of these types of foods are known for being very sweet, both blueberries and bilberries are relatively low in sugar. However, bilberries are typically more flavorful than blueberries. Vaccinium berries are also high in antioxidants which is another reason that they are a healthy addition to other foods. Antioxidants oxidize free radicals in the body and are correlated with a reduction in cancer rates.

Vaccinium Corymbosum and Vaccinium Myrtillus trees are both adapted to temperate weather. They have photoreceptors which are capable of processing day length and consequently they bloom when increasing day lengths suggest that temperatures will warm. Both species are also adapted to living in nutrient poor and slightly acidic soils which some other species might not be able to.

I like both blueberries and bilberries. My aunt made bilberry pie for us when we visited her in England. I wouldn’t say one is much better than the other, althought they are noticeably different. However, I would like to try bilberry picking in Sweden at some point.

Text Sources

https://www.ateriet.com/blueberries-bilberries/

https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/what-is-bilberry-fruit-used-for-12185326.html

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124081178000040

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632771/

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/johnson_jor3/adaptations.htm

Image Sources

https://realfood.tesco.com/recipes/bilberry-pie-with-cream.html

http://piazzagrandehk.blogspot.com/2015/03/blueberry-vs-bilberry-whats-difference.html

http://www.joesgarden.com/blueberry-plants/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/519251032022562856/