please someone tell me are blueberries the same as bilberries? which shops in the UK can i get bilberries from?
and whats the point of pickling onions if when you open the jar you have to refrigerate them?

no they are not the same
not sure about where u can get bilberries from in UK
it is an herb sometimes sold in health food stores ( good for the eyes)

im not sure what the point is of pickling onions either
but if that is something u like to do

i am sure that if you open the jar, u just take whatever u want and put it in the fridge.. not sure where the problem lies

are u saying, u don't want to put the jar back in the fridge after u take out what u want?

if that is the case, just don't pickle your onions

so u don't have to put anything back in the fridge

i thought people pickled onions to preserve them. if so why is refrigeration also necessary?

where can i see a picture of a bilberry plant

Results from google image search for Bilberry

Aloha Nui Loa,

Greg

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - William James

There is no pill that can be swallowed,
There is no guru, that can be followed, - Michael Franti (Pray For Grace)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus

now i'm hungry! :0

thankyou for the replies. la veronique says blueberries and bilberries are different.
the pictures for bilberries i see look exactly like the blueberries that i buy. how come?

see this half way down:
[www.mysupermarket.co.uk]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2008 08:51PM by A415.

[en.wikipedia.org]
Bilberry is a name given to several species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium (family Ericaceae) that bear tasty fruits. The species most often referred to is Vaccinium myrtillus L., also known as European blueberry, blaeberry, whortleberry, whinberry (or winberry), myrtle blueberry, fraughan, and probably other names regionally.

the difference between blueberry and bilberry here
[www.innvista.com]

seriously, this was very easy to google.

what is your question about pickling onions about? foods are pickled to make them stay edible In The Jar until you open them up, this way they can be eaten when out of season and unavailable.
pickled onions are not raw though and are bathed in vinegar and salt, not really a very healthy food stuff if you ask me.

They are very closely related, both being members of the Vaccinium genus.

Edited to add... damn Coco you're fast! You beat me to it.

Aloha Nui Loa,

Greg

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - William James

There is no pill that can be swallowed,
There is no guru, that can be followed, - Michael Franti (Pray For Grace)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/12/2008 08:57PM by MauiGreg.

thankyouverymuch.

A14

oh okay, i understand your question now
concerning preserving them and putting it in fridge

well, some people don't put the fermented stuff in the fridge at all
they just bury it in the ground and put it in a dark place for it to ferment further or put it in the basement

so it is entirely up to you

but then afterwards, u should put it in the fridge just to give it a longer shelf life unless u intend to eat it all up in one sitting LOL

well i've never pickled onions before

but have tasted certain fermented foods

i think that el natural and also Mike are really the gurus of kimchi making

so if u can e mail them concerning how to ferment stuff, they could probably give u tips and clues.. not sure if its just all using vinegar and salt

i think they use other spices as well.. garlic cayenne etc

but the thing is i would think onions by themselves were incredibly pungent as they are...

and if u wish to preserve them, just stick them in the fridge

i was told by this man that his mother used to preserve a LOT of stuff like fruits ( for jams) and whatnot

but that was because they didn't have a fridge.. they just had a block of ice or something like that... so it was hard to keep things fresh

but if u have a fridge, just put your onions in the fridge and it will give it more shelf life

they are pretty durable

unlike spinach which is the most PERISHABLE vegetable i have ever encountered