We all
know Washington is home to great apples and lots of them. Last year's crop was
109 million boxes and this
year that number could grow to 121 million.
But did you know we're
also breaking blueberry production records?
The Capital Press
reports that we're looking at a 70 million-pound crop, up from 61 million
last year. According to the Washington Blueberry Commission, Washington state
has more than tripled its blueberry acres in the last five years, with much of
the recent growth happening east of the Cascades.
Our neighbors in Oregon
produced 65 million pounds of blueberries in 2011 and this year they're
expecting up to 75 million pounds.
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is forecasting almost 286 million pounds along
the entire west coast for 2012. 50 blueberries weigh about one ounce; 286
million pounds is 4,576,000,000 ounces, which is 228,800,000,000 blueberries.
Yeah, that's definitely a lot of berries! 56 percent of those will go to fresh
market and the remainder will be processed.
Blueberries are becoming more and more popular
around the world not only because they're really tasty, but also because they're
really healthy. They are high in fiber, very low in fat and sodium and, compared to nearly 40 other fruits
and vegetables, blueberries rank highest in disease-fighting antioxidants. 3.5
oz.—or around 175—fresh blueberries could deliver the equivalent antioxidant
capacity of five servings of other fruits and vegetables.
How does a
smoothie sound right about now? To read this story in Spanish, click here.
