Strawberries and blueberries are hands down the favorite fruits of our household and the kids eat their weight in them. Several times during the summer and fall our family stops by a local farm and takes advantage of u-picks to pick our own fruit. Picking fruit ourselves allows us to get the freshest and most flavorful fruit at prices discounted from normal grocery stores. Not only is it better tasting and less expensive but berry picking allows us to reconnect to nature and understand where our food comes from. It supports our valued local farmers and saves energy and pollution by not buying fruit from half way around the world. But if all those benefits were not enough, berry picking simply makes a great family tradition. One that does not involve TV, video or computer games, just the sun, wind, rolling farm fields and the kids popping berries into their mouths. These adventures are the outings our kids remember.
July and August are prime blueberry picking months. When ripe the berries will simply roll off the stems. Don't forget to gather the ones that fall on the ground. Blueberries freeze really well after being washed, drained and bagged. One tip is to freeze them on a cookie sheet first and then bag them. This will prevent clumping.
Here are some unique blueberry recipes from my kitchen. We enjoyed each of them with our blueberry harvest this year. We especially enjoyed the daiquiris. Got a great blueberry tip? Please post.
Blueberry Cobbler
4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
4 tbsp shortening
1. Mix together the first 4 ingredients and place into the bottom of a casserole dish.
2. Make the batter with the next 4 ingredients. Cut the shortening in and mix until the shortening is pea sized. Add the milk and give a quick stir.
3. Drop spoonfuls on the berry mixture until most of the berries are covered.
4. Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Spicy Blueberry Baked Beans
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup green chilies (Old El Paso green chilies are super easy)
3 cans of 398 ml (14 oz) baked beans
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (RoosterBrand)
2/3 cups of mashed fresh blueberries
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a pot heat olive oil and then add onion and garlic. Cook until translucent.
2. Add chilies and cook for 1 minute. Add all other ingredients and then let simmer for 20 minutes.
Blueberry Daiquiris
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup maple syrup (Add more if you prefer sweeter daiquiris)
Juice of half of a lemon
Juice of a lime
3 cups crushed ice
1/2 rum
1. Combine first 2 ingredients in a blender and then strain the mixture through sieve to discard the solids. You can skip this step if you prefer having tiny bits of blueberry.
2. Mix together in a blender and process until smooth.
Makes 4 servings
To find u-picks in your area just search for "pick your own fruit" and enter in your location. Here are some New Brunswick links and don't stop at just berries. Try yellow plums, peaches, apples and pumpkins or whatever else you love.
South Eastern New Brunswick
http://recoltedecheznous.com/en/producer/
New Brunswick U-Picks
http://www.pickyourown.org/canadanb.htm
Find Local Food in NB
http://www.conservationcouncil.ca/Local-Food/
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