Wild Blueberries: The Star of Late Summer
If you’re a native New Englander or longtime Boston resident, then August is probably one of your favorite months for fresh, organic fruit. Not only are juicy heirloom tomatoes ready to harvest and stone fruit at its peak, it’s also the heart of the short but spectacular wild blueberry season.
The Boston Organics Community includes some incredibly skilled farmers—but when it comes to growing blueberries, nature still does it best.
While we’ve been offering cultivated organic blueberries as an add-on for weeks, wild blueberries—the tiny, powerful kind you remember from childhood—are in a league of their own.
Are Wild Blueberries Different?
Every summer, someone asks us: “Is there really a difference between wild and cultivated blueberries?” If you’ve ever tasted a wild blueberry, you already know the answer.
Wild blueberries come from lowbush plants and are smaller, more flavorful, and far more intense than their cultivated cousins. Cultivated blueberries, often found in grocery stores, are the result of decades of cross-breeding to produce large, durable berries that ship easily.
Wild blueberries, however, come from a native species harvested for centuries by Indigenous peoples and commercially since the 1840s. These hardy plants grow naturally in the acidic soils of northern New England and thrive in harsh winters.
If They’re Wild, How Are They Grown?
We work with organic farms in Maine, like Burke Hill Farm, to source some of the best wild blueberries in the world. Burke Hill’s 120-acre farm is part of the 44,000 acres of naturally growing wild blueberry fields in Maine’s Downeast corridor—so iconic that wild blueberries are Maine’s official state fruit.
Wild blueberries grow on a two-year cycle. After harvesting, fields are mowed or burned to suppress weeds and encourage stronger future growth. The plants themselves are connected underground by rhizomes, making them extremely resilient.
Come spring, the plants regrow and produce dense clusters of berries, which ripen during a short but glorious window at the end of summer.
Are Wild Blueberries Healthier?
Yes—wild blueberries pack a powerful nutritional punch. Like all blueberries, they’re rich in antioxidant phytonutrients, especially anthocyanins, which give the berries their deep blue color and may help reduce inflammation and protect against degenerative diseases.
Because wild blueberries are small and have more skin relative to volume, they contain nearly twice the antioxidants of larger, cultivated blueberries. They’re also a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese.
How to Eat and Store Wild Blueberries
Wild blueberries are easy to enjoy—no peeling or pitting required. Just give them a rinse before eating. Since organic berries aren’t treated with antifungal sprays, it’s best to store them in the fridge unwashed and wash only before use.
While the season lasts just a few weeks in August and September, wild blueberries freeze beautifully. Here’s how:
- Spread the berries on a baking sheet and freeze overnight.
- Transfer to sealed plastic bags and keep in the freezer for later use.
- If you buy a 5 lb box from us, you can freeze it as-is. Place waxed paper on top to reduce ice crystals if desired.
Wild blueberries are perfect for pancakes, baked goods, smoothies, and especially with Wallaby Organic Greek Yogurt.
Short season, long-lasting flavor—get your wild blueberries while they last!
