July blueberries benefited from June rains

Heavy spring rains helped at least some of Virginia’s blueberry growers.

“The rain has made them (the berries) really large,” said Lawrence Grabman, who co-owns V-G Berry Farm in Grayson County with his wife, Sandy. “Many of them have been nickel-size, and some have even been as large as a quarter. The flavor’s good, and the moisture level is good too.”

The Grabmans have been growing pick-your-own blueberries since 1995. They currently have about 180 plants on a quarter-acre and said their customers have increased every year—along with the amount of blueberries they pick.

“We try to encourage them to eat blueberries all year long,” Grabman said. He tells his customers to freeze unwashed blueberries in quart plastic storage bags.

He’s had customers who used to pick only a few quarts at a time increase that amount to 10 or more. One picked 45 quarts in one day and planned to eat berries on cereal year-round.

Peter Perina, who owns Eastfield Farms in Mathews County with his wife, Diane, said their blueberries are available for people to pick into August.

The Perinas, who have been growing blueberries for 30 years, started seeing a marked increase in customers about five years ago when the media began reporting how good blueberries are for people’s health. The berries are low in fat, full of fiber and phytonutrients and packed with vitamin C. “That’s helped our business,” Peter Perina said.

What also has helped the business, he said, is showing customers how to properly pick blueberries. “People think if they’re blue, they’re ripe, but it really depends on the size. The larger the berry, the sweeter the taste.”

Perina shares a few recommendations on how to eat blueberries as well. He likes to pair them with blue cheese as an appetizer or add that combination to a salad. And, as unusual as it sounds, he suggests topping a cheese pizza with blueberries.

“Try it,” he said.