Mamaku Blue FAQ
Q: Are all blueberries the same?
A: No. There are hundreds of blueberry varieties grown around the world, each with its own taste, shape, size, colour, sweetness, shelf life, and antioxidant content.
Q: What sort of berries do you grow?
A: We grow Northern Highbush blueberry varieties, as they are best suited to our conditions: frosty winters, cooler summers, higher altitude, higher rainfall, strong winds, volcanic soil, and a short growing season.
Our second crop is green gooseberries (Ribes variety Invicta), and we are also beginning to grow and produce strawberries.
Q: How many different blueberries do you grow?
A: As of 2025, we grow eight different Northern Highbush varieties and are trialling another eight for future expansion. Some of our original plants were established by Harry and Anne Frost in the early 1980s (Jersey, Dixi, Burlington). We also grow popular varieties such as Bluecrop and Duke.
Q: When do your berries ripen?
A: Our blueberry season runs approximately from late December to the end of March. Our earliest variety is Reka, and our latest is Elliot.
Green gooseberries have a shorter season, from mid-December to mid-January.
Strawberries are available from November through to April.
Q: How long does it take for a blueberry plant to grow and fruit?
A: You can usually harvest a small crop after about three years. However, plants do not reach full maturity until at least eight years of age, and in some cases over ten years, depending on the variety, climate and soil.
Q: How are blueberries pollinated?
A: Most highbush blueberries are self-fertile, but cross-pollination is recommended for larger and more consistent crops. (Rabbiteye varieties are self-sterile and require cross-pollination.) Blueberries are insect-pollinated, with bumblebees and honey bees doing an excellent job.
Q: Why are your blueberries different?
A: We select varieties that prioritise flavour above all else, including shape, sugar content, size, and shelf life. We also focus on disease-resistant varieties that are as close as possible to native American blueberries.
Our plants take longer to establish, as we prioritise strong root development before planting into our compact volcanic soil. While volcanic soil is mineral-rich, its pH is not naturally ideal for blueberries, which prefer a pH of 4.5–5.5.
Our unique climate means our berries ripen later, as cooler conditions slow ripening and early frosts can occur.
Customers often tell us our blueberries have a distinctive flavour that cannot be replicated elsewhere, even with the same varieties, and we believe all these factors contribute to their quality.
Q: Is your orchard Certified Organic?
A: No. We use bee-friendly practices and natural fertilisers, always considering the impact on soil health and plant cycles. This has been our approach for many years.
Our berries are spray free, however if the weather is not conducive for a successful harvest, we may have to use preflower and/or postharvest spray to secure our harvest (we never spray forming or maturing fruit), we only apply if absolutely necessary and always looking at natural and biological controls before considering anything else.
Any applications, whether conventional or certified organic, are used only when absolutely necessary, and we strictly follow all spraying procedures and withholding periods.
The remaining 26 hectares of our farmland is certified BioGro organic.
Q: Is your Pure Blueberry Juice cold pressed and pasteurised?
A: Yes. Our Pure Blueberry Juice is cold pressed and pasteurised. It can be stored at room temperature while unopened. Once opened, it should be refrigerated and consumed within 21 days, as it contains no preservatives.
Q: Is your PURE 100% juice a concentrate or made from concentrate?
A: No.
Q: Do you add anything else to your PURE 100% juice?
A: No. We use only our best blueberries and control every step of the process, from growing the fruit to bottling and labelling.
Do you have any more questions? You can contact us.