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National Blueberry Day

Food · July 8

A day for the blueberry, the small blue fruit that turns up in muffins, pancakes, pies and handfuls straight from the carton.

National Blueberry Day falls on Thursday, July 8, 2027. That is 254 days away.

Blueberries are small round berries that grow on shrubs, ripening from green to a deep blue with a pale, dusty coating called bloom. That coating is natural, and it rubs off easily when you handle them.

The flavor changes with the berry. Some are sharp and bright, others mild and sweet, and a single pint can hold both. Wild blueberries tend to be smaller and more intense, while cultivated ones are plumper and easier to eat by the handful.

Most people meet them in baking. They show up in muffins, pancakes, cobblers and pies, where they soften and turn the batter around them purple. They are just as good cold, scattered over yogurt or cereal, or frozen and eaten like tiny sorbet pellets on a warm afternoon.

Picking them yourself is a common way to mark the day where farms allow it. The bushes are low enough for children to reach, and the berries come off with a gentle roll of the thumb. Ripe ones let go easily. The ones that cling are usually not ready.

At home, they keep best unwashed in the fridge, rinsed only right before eating, since moisture makes them soft faster. A few always vanish between the sink and the bowl.

Ways to celebrate

• Bake a batch of blueberry muffins or pancakes.
• Look for a local farm that offers pick-your-own blueberries.
• Try fresh blueberries side by side with frozen wild ones.
• Freeze a handful and eat them as a cold snack.
• Share a blueberry cobbler with a neighbor.

Dates

All national days on July 8

Also on July 8

• National Video Game Day
• National Chocolate with Almonds Day
• National Freezer Pop Day
• Be a Kid Again Day

Categories: Food days