The blueberry belongs to the same family as the bilberry and is similarly small, round and dark bluish, indigo-black with smooth bloomy skin. The flesh is grey-blue and juicy. There are high-bush or low-bush varieties. They don’t have quite as much flavour as bilberries, and can benefit from a squeeze of lemon. They are generally used in pies or jams (US: jellies) or in blueberry muffins. The blueberry is a relative of the cranberry. Don't wash any soft fruit until it is about to be used or it is likely to rot. The American blueberry is larger than the northern European variety but tastes pretty much the same. The Northern high-bush blueberry is the most commonly seen blueberry growing, not surprisingly, on high bushes anything up to 4.5 meters (15 ft) high. The rabbit-eye or low-bush varieties are wild varieties producing smaller fruit. Translations to blueberry in Europe often actually mean bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) rather than blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) but it is sometimes difficult to tell.
