Blueberries
for the Family
by Cheryl Tallman
and Joan Ahlers
Blueberries are available in
many forms: fresh, frozen, juice, puree, concentrate and dried.
Fresh blueberries should be firm, dry, plump and smooth-skinned.
Ripe berries are deep purple blue to blue-black. Stay away from
containers of berries with juice stains, or that contain moldy,
soft, watery or wrinkled fruit.
Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for
five to seven days. Don’t wash blueberries until to you
are ready to use them.
Preparation: Wash fresh or frozen berries before
using them.
Freezing fresh blueberries: While blueberries are available year
round, they are least expensive when they are in season in your
area. Take advantage of your local crop year round by freezing
blueberries. That’s right, blueberries freeze very well.
To freeze blueberries: Do not wash them. Lay a single layer of
blueberries on a cookie sheet (or flat pan) and freeze them.
Once frozen, packed the berries into containers or freezer storage
bags. This method makes it is easy to grab a handful of berries
from the freezer for pancakes, smoothies, etc. Wash them before
using.
Blueberry pancakes: A weekend family favorite. To prevent
your batter from turning purple and for easier flipping, add
the blueberries as soon as the batter has been poured on the
griddle.
Dried blueberries: Available
in many stores, dried blueberries are great in scones, banana
bread, cookies, trail mix or sprinkled in popcorn or Chex mix.
Blueberry Relish: This delicious and simple relish is
great with grilled chicken breast. It is also wonderful on grilled
cheese sandwiches. Click
here to view the recipe, Blueberry Relish.
Blueberry-Mango Soup: Looking
for something different to serve for dessert? Try this soup.
It is very impressive and quite easy. Click
here to view the recipe, Blueberry-Mango Soup.
Blueberries
Unlike most fruits, the blueberry
was not introduced to the United States by Europeans or other
immigrants. Blueberries are native to North America, and it was
the Native Americans who introduced European settlers to this
wonderful, healthful fruit.
Blueberries were important to
the Native Americans. They were eaten fresh, added to soups and
stews, dried for the winter and used for medicinal purposes,
making strong teas from the roots.
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