Here’s Why You May See White & Pink Blueberries in Maine’s Harvest This Year

As I began preparing to pen this article about the fascinating new trend in the Maine blueberry colors, I began having flashbacks to my first summer job down in Union, Maine, where I worked as a blueberry raker.

Of all the jobs that I have done, and I've done a lot, that was by far the most physically strenuous job I ever had.

I don't think I could ever go back and do it again, so props to the men and women who return to Maine's blueberry fields year after year to harvest this incredible crop.

Now, before we get into why you might be seeing different colors of 'blue'berries at your local grocer or farm stand, let's first review the epic history of blueberries in Maine, shall we?

Blueberries, which are insanely plentiful in the Pine Tree State, are deeply embedded in Maine’s culture. People come from afar to attend Maine's festivals and events celebrating the berry throughout the state.

Most people don't realize, however, that Maine’s wild blueberries are actually quite different from the bigger 'cultivated' varieties you might find in grocery stores. They’re smaller, but they are often much more flavorful and contain more antioxidants.

As I mentioned at the top, begrudgingly, Maine blueberries are typically harvested using a method called "raking," where machines, or like when I was a teen, hand rakes are used to gather the berries.

Typically when you're picking or raking Maine blueberries they are often, ya know, BLUE. However, Maine berry growers and farmers are noticing an interesting trend in the blueberry colors this year. Many farms are finding thousands of white and pink berries. But why?

According to an article by WGME 13, it actually has to do with genetics. The news station reports that though these berries may appear unripe at first glance, they're actually not. And, in most cases, the non-blue blueberries actually taste exactly like their blue brothers and sisters.

Lily Calderwood, a wild blueberry specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, told WGME in part about the genetic mutations,

One field can have 500 to 1,500 separate genetic individuals. Each year, those genes create a patchwork of colors and shapes in leaves and berries, which occasionally create albino plants. As another result of this genetic diversity, berries in the same field also ripen at different rates, meaning you also see some green ones that aren’t good eating. In early stages the fruits are acidic before their sugar content goes up.

So the moral of the story is, if you get yourself a heaping helping of Maine blueberries this season and you notice they aren't all a shade of blue, don't throw them away- they are most likely all ripe and tasty no matter the color.