Why Are Blueberries So Big Right Now?

We’re about to turn the calendar to a brand new month—one that typically heralds back-to-school, fall, and the waning days of blueberry season. And while we’ve been baking up a blueberry storm to take advantage of the berries at their best, we’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. Our grocery store blueberries have been absolutely massive.

Instead of small, firm blueberries, we’ve noticed cartons filled with berries almost double their typical size. And it’s not just blueberries—we’ve noticed the phenomenon with strawberries and other fruits, too. 

Some of this may be due to environmental challenges. Multiple blueberry-producing states on both coasts, such as California and New Hampshire have had particularly wet weather this year during growing season. The increased precipitation results in fruits bloated with water. Very moist soil had more water for growing berries to draw up. This particularly affected strawberries this year, though when we asked Heather Arndt Anderson, author of “Berries: A Global History,” she noted it could extend to blueberries as well, saying wet weather would, “definitely lead to larger berries, but with less sugar.”

But when it comes to blueberries in particular, much of the increased size can be attributed to the preferences of commercial growers. Anderson said, “Crop scientists working for large-scale commercial growers like Driscoll's in California have been breeding larger berries, but flavor and yield are still always top priorities.” For example, Driscoll’s has developed its’ “Sweetest Batch” blueberries to be particularly sweet, and customers have noted their typically large size. 

Larger fruits can also be thought of as being sturdier to ship, which may impact commercial growers' decisions on how to breed their berries. But not everyone wants a larger blueberry. Wild blueberries are adored for their small size and tart taste. According to Anderson, “Oregon State University’s small fruits breeding program is actually focused on breeding smaller fruit and developing cultivars with later ripening” particularly of note given that Oregon is a top blueberry producer.