Blueberries Aren't Really Blue? Come On! Stop Messing With Me!

Photo: Erika Bunea / 500px / 500px / Getty Images

Blue berries are not blue? Seriously? I have enough trouble as it is. To a certain degree I'm colorblind. I get blue and purple mixed up, certain shades of green look gray to me. Reds and orange trip me up. You get the idea. If you have similar troubles, this story will blow your mind and probably cause an argument. - Matt Appleby

Eyes playing tricks on you … What color are blueberries? Yes, it's a trick question. An obscure fact you probably didn't expect to learn today is that blueberries may appear to be blue, but scientists say they are not. A British study explains that the pigments in blueberries and other fruits that appear to be blue are actually a dark red. But a very thin natural "epicuticular wax" coating on the skin of the berries plays a trick on our eyes and brains to give the appearance of the color blue. It’s actually just scattering blue and UV light to give that appearance. Want proof? Try mashing up a bowl of blueberries and you'll see a dark red or almost purple color. The more you know …


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