The key to the success of highbush blueberries in Poland is the climate. It is he who makes berries our gardening showcase. Nowhere in Europe and nowhere in the world are so many species of berries produced, in such large quantities, and of such outstanding consumer quality.
Poland, thanks to favorable climatic and soil conditions, as well as cultivation traditions, plays an important role in the production of berries. We are the world's largest exporter of concentrated juices and the largest frozen berries. The highbush blueberry itself has been cultivated in Poland for 50 years. As a country, we are its largest exporter in Europe.
read more
Aronia builds immunity. What can you prepare from it?
Sorry, that's our climate
Blueberry is a berry – it belongs to berry fruits – which are characteristic of our climate. It is a warm and transitional temperate climate, characterized by large daily and annual temperature amplitudes. Our days are warm and the nights are cold.
Large amplitudes of annual and daily temperatures give a unique balance of sweet and sour flavor notes, unique in the climate of the colder north, in the interior of the continent, in the west where the maritime climate dominates, or in the south, which is influenced by the Mediterranean climate.
– That's why our blueberries are considered the best in Europe. Perhaps they are even the best in the world – says Ireneusz Komorowski, blueberry grower, board member and long-time president of the Association of Polish Blueberry Growers.
Blueberries owe their color and large amounts of polyphenols to large temperature amplitudes. This makes them particularly valuable for health. Compared to other foods, berries stand out as one of the richest sources of these compounds.
read more
Exquisite cherry vodka with honey and brandy
Blueberries every day
Polyphenols are organic compounds with intense antioxidant properties. Anthocyanins dominate in blueberries. They are also responsible for the characteristic blue-purple color of the fruit.
A diet rich in polyphenols contributes to improving health and reducing the risk of many metabolic diseases, cancers and faster aging. To increase your polyphenol intake, it is worth eating berries. This is usually the first recommendation from a dietitian.
Recommended by dieticians, a cup of berries with a meal is one of the simplest steps to staying healthy.
By eating blueberries and other dark berries, you will slow down the aging of your body. Blueberries support the prevention of metabolic diseases, lipid disorders, have anti-atherosclerosis properties, sensitize tissues to insulin and protect against cancer.
photo: National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers Groups
Blueberries are one of the richest sources of polyphenols, but polyphenols are also found in chokeberries, currants, haskaps, blackberries and raspberries. Hence the popularity of the terms – superowoce and Polish superowoce. It so happens that Poland is the world's largest producer of most of these species.
Blueberries are Polish superfruits
Polish chokeberries account for 3/4 of the world's harvest. Polish currants account for over half of world production. The Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute in Skierniewice makes enormous contributions to achieving this position. A unique research unit where innovative solutions are created in cooperation with entrepreneurs from the horticultural sector.
Haskap berry, we are pioneers in its cultivation here. We have the largest plantations in the world and the most popular self-harvest crops. Organized annually by at least a dozen plantations in half of the voivodeships.
photo: National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers Groups
Poland is also among the leading producers of raspberries. It ranks second in Europe. Blackberry production is lower than for other berries, but Poland is still one of the major producers in Europe.
What's the benefit? Living in Poland, we have access to fresh berries for over 7 months. From spring strawberries to autumn minikiwi. This is another very Polish fruit, a great international breeding success of the Warsaw University of Life Sciences.
Self-harvesting is growing in popularity
According to Kantar Polska research, as many as 76% of respondents declare interest in self-harvesting Polish vegetables and fruits. That's 24.6 million Poles, 1.9 million more than in 2023.
The species we would most like to pick ourselves are berries – strawberries (35%), raspberries (23%) and blueberries (21%).
At the end of July, at the peak of the blueberry season, it is worth thinking about self-harvesting and freezing the fruit.
– Seasonal food is an opportunity. Freezing maintains the high polyphenol content. At the peak of the season, the fruit is the ripest and the cheapest. We can process or freeze berries and thus enjoy their benefits all year round. It is worth considering larger purchases and quick freezing. This is greatly facilitated by the increasingly wider offer of self-harvesting – says Monika Hajduk, clinical dietitian, MonVita Diet Center.
Source: National Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers Groups / PAP MediaRoom
read more
Diet in hot weather. It is worth reaching for fruit and kefir
