Blueberry Picking Wednesday!!

[lesa]

At 7:30 am you will find picking blueberries! I can't wait. Now, what to do with them. First a blueberry pie, some jam. Anyone have a certain favorite thing they do with blueberries? Last year was a terrible year for berries, so I missed out. I am hoping this year will be much better....

 

[Whitewater]

When I was a kid we used to use blueberry syrup for waffles and pancakes and so on, even ice cream!

But my favorite way to use them has GOT to be in muffins. Hands down. Pancakes too.

We would freeze them (put them all on a cookie sheet to freeze, then bung them back in a container and stick the container in the freezer, that way, you could get out however many you needed without having them freeze into one big solid lump), then, when you were making muffins or pancakes, get out however many you wanted, put a coat of flour on the berries after they've thawed a bit (the flour coating keeps them from sinking, Mom used to do it in a small colander), and then toss them in the batter.

They were wonderful


Whitewater

 

[lesa]

I can't believe I forgot about blueberry pancakes- I love them!!! Okay, some in the freezer for pancakes and baking. Thanks!

 

[Kim_NC]

I like to can my own pie fillings. In the WInter, just pull out a jar, dump into a crust, bake and WaaLaaa!

Blueberry Pie Filling

6 quarts fresh blueberries
6 cups sugar
2 1/4 cups clear jel, cook type
7 cups cold water
1/2 cup bottled lemon juice
20 drops blue food coloring (optional)
7 drops red food coloring (optional)

Combine sugar and clear jel in a large kettle. Add water and food coloring. Cook on medium heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil one minute, stirring constantly. Fold in berries and fill jars without delay, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process in water bath 35 minutes.

And if you can get a few peaches to add, this is a best selling jam I make:

Blueberry Peach Jam
(Makes eight 8-ounce jars)

3 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups fresh peach slices
1 package fruit pectin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
7 cups sugar

Crush blueberries and put in a medium saucepan. Cut the peach slices into pieces and grind in a food processor or food mill; add to the blueberries. Mix fruit pectin and cinnamon into the fruit mixture and cook over high heat until mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly.

Add sugar all at once, bring to a full boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim and stir to remove foam. Ladle into hot jars and seal.

Finally, I have 3 fav dessert recipes w/blueberries posted here:
Lemon Blueberry Squares
http://www.millriverfarm.com/recipe.cfm?id=202&catnameesserts and Sweets

Lemon-Blueberry Cobbler
http://www.millriverfarm.com/recipe.cfm?id=256&catnameesserts and Sweets

Blueberry Pound Cake
http://www.millriverfarm.com/recipe.cfm?id=314&catnameesserts and Sweets

 

[Grow 4 Food]

Ours go to

jam
syrup
pancakes
muffins
more muffins
extra muffins (I like blueberry muffins)
wine