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I have just harvested some of the ripest berries from a row of 6 blueberries of different varieties. They all have a slightly odd taste that I have never detected in store bought blueberries. It is difficult to describe. My wife suggested it almost tastes like a hint of basil, or some similar 'grassy' note. I have read they can taste sour if you pick them too soon, but I wouldn't call this a sour taste.

Is this possibly just what these varieties taste like? Unfortunately I don't have the exact names of them.

What could cause blueberries to taste like this? Could this be a soil, watering or fertilising issue?

Bogdanovist
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2 Answers2

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Blueberries do have slightly varying tastes depending on the variety, but you seem to be suggesting you have several different varieties anyway. The other thing that happens, as they get very ripe, is the taste develops and changes slightly. I'd ask you to collect some of the others which are ripe, but perhaps not quite as ripe as the ones you've already picked, just to see if they taste different. Your question contains no information about growing conditions, soil emendment, feeding regime, amount of sun/water, etc., but given you've grown them successfully, I'm assuming they get enough sun/water, the soil ph is correct and they do have a cold period, or you'd be reporting problems with the plants generally.

Bear in mind that the ones you buy in the store have usually not been picked when bordering on over ripe; if they have been, they're often quite mushy compared to ones picked a little sooner. They can be picked when blue and when they come off the bush easily, so try a few which fit this description; they do not continue to ripen after picking (although legend has it that placing under ripe ones in a bag with a ripe apple will work).

Bamboo
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Blueberries - not native to Australia - are unhappy in Australian soil, which is harsh and deficient in almost every nutrient freely and readily available in soils of the northern hemisphere.

Travel to North America and sample the blueberries there to know first hand exactly what I'm talking about.

Adding artificial nutrients to your soil don't work either as others have discovered.

Although every variety of blueberry can hold a slightly different flavour, in Australia, every variety of blueberry has a decidedly foul taste - some more 'rank' than others, but all quite rank nonetheless.

crk
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