Wild Blueberries Pack More Than Flavor—Here's What Sets Them Apart From Cultivated Ones

When it comes to berries, strawberries often get the spotlight, and blueberries are overlooked or taken for granted. But there's a type of blueberry you might not be familiar with and will want to seek out for both flavor and nutrition. Wild blueberries are not as widely available as their cultivated cousins. Their season is shorter too, but experts say they are worth buying. We spoke to a cooking teacher and a nutritionist to get the lowdown on wild versus cultivated blueberries and when to choose one over the other.

What Are Wild Blueberries?

Wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium), resemble standard blueberries but are much smaller and are often darker in color. They grow close to the ground and are often called lowbush blueberries to set them apart from their cultivated cousins, highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum).

Wild blueberries are in season in the late summer, and their growth cycle is brief and dependent on rainfall and temperature. Their seasonality is limited to four to six weeks from July to late August.  They are ubiquitous in Maine and parts of Eastern Canada (where they are grown and later harvested), but fresh wild blueberries are harder to come by in other areas. Frozen wild blueberries are widely available year round.

Olivia Roszkowski, chef-instructor of health-centered culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education, says that the greatest visual difference between a wild blueberry and its standard grocery store counterpart is the size–the wild ones are often half the size (if not smaller). The second most important difference is the more concentrated, though less predictable, flavor.

Wild Is the Winner

Small but mighty, wild blueberries win for culinary and nutritional reasons.

Flavor

Wild blueberries have a more intense and distinct flavor than standard blueberries, mainly due to their size. “Their pigmented exterior contains more aromatic compounds and tannin, which make them more fragrant and tart,” says Roszkowski. Grocery store berries, on the other hand, are milder, more uniform, and sweeter in flavor. She notes that they are bred for stability and durability, making their flavor more predictable. But since wild blueberries have more of the aromatic skins and less of the mild-tasting pulp, their flavor is truly unmatched.

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Nutrition

According to registered dietitian Lauren Manaker, both types of blueberries are packed with nutrients, but they do have some key nutritional differences that might make you lean toward one over the other, depending on what you’re looking for.

“Don’t let their size fool you–wild blueberries pack a serious punch when it comes to antioxidants,” she says. In fact, wild blueberries have more antioxidants per ounce than conventional ones, thanks to their higher skin-to-flesh ratio (the skin is where the good stuff is). “These antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, are what give blueberries their deep blue color and are linked to benefits like reducing inflammation and supporting brain health.” 

Don’t disregard conventional blueberries, though. Manaker notes that while they don’t have quite as many antioxidants as their wild cousins, they are still a fantastic source of vitamins C and K, as well as fiber, so keep on snacking!

Frozen Is Fine

Unless you’re up north in Maine or elsewhere in New England, it’s unlikely that you’ll find fresh wild blueberries at your local markets. However, many stores sell them in the freezer aisle, and for most culinary uses (think tall stacks of pancakes, soft and lemony muffins, stewy compotes or jams, and homemade blueberry pies), frozen will do just fine.