Find your thrill on blueberry hill
Juicy and sweet, blueberries are a gift of summer in our Metro Moncton area. Pick them yourself, find them fresh at your local farmer's market or supermarket, and find new ways to incorporate them into your meal.
Besides being tasty, blueberries are a good source of fibre and an excellent source of vitamin C. When buying blueberries, select firm, plump berries with an indigo blue colour and a silvery white frost. Avoid any with a green or red, purple or pink tint which indicates under ripe berries.
If packaged in a carton, check to make sure there are no juice stains at the bottom of the carton or mouldy or crushed berries buried inside. Once you get them home, refrigerate fresh blueberries for up to one week.
Don't forget if you have a recipe you are willing to swap to send it to thisweek@brunswicknews.com. I'll feature them in this column, which runs regularly in This Week. Don't hesitate to send in requests for specific recipes either.
Here are this week's recipes:
Blueberry Crisp
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter or margarine 75 ml
1 ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar 300 ml
1/3 cup all purpose flour 75 ml
2/3 cup rolled oats 150 ml
¼ tsp cinnamon 1 ml
3 to 4 cups blueberries 750 ml to 1 l
Method:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish.
Cream butter and brown sugar together. Stir in flour, oats and cinnamon. Arrange blueberries in prepared dish. Sprinkle with crumbs. Bake in preheated 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 Celsius) oven for 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown.
Makes 6 servings.
No-Cook Blueberry Jam
Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups crushed blueberries 1 l
5 cups sugar 1.25 l
2 pouches CERTO liquid pectin
Grated rind from 1 lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice 30 ml
Method:
Stir together blueberries (crush berries one layer at a time or use food processor, but do not pureé) and sugar in large bowl and mix well. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in fruit pectin, lemon juice and rind. Continue to stir for 3 minutes until most of the sugar is dissolved. Pour into clean jars or plastic containers. Let stand at room temperature until set (may take up to 24 hours). Store in freezer, or if used within 3 weeks jam may be stored in refrigerator. Makes 7 cups, 1750 ml.
Blueberry Creamy Orange Pie
Ingredients:
1 pkg (4 serving size each) vanilla instant pudding
1 cup milk 250 ml
1 cup whipped topping, thawed 250 mol
Rind from 1 medium orange
1 9-inch ready made pie crust or flan
4 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried 1 l
1/2 cup raspberry jam 125 ml
Method:
Whisk together instant pudding and milk. Mixture will be thick.
Fold in whipped topping and orange rind. Pour filling into pie crust or flan. Spoon blueberries over filling. Melt jam over low heat. Strain, discarding seeds. Spoon remaining jam over blueberries. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Blueberry Smoothie
(My kids call this a bugberry smoothie - you’ll see why when you try it!)
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup blueberries 300 ml
1 cup orange juice, chilled 250 ml
2 cups fat-free yogurt 500 ml
¼ cup fat-free or 1% milk 60 ml
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into two large or four small glasses.
Blueberry Grunt
Ingredients:
Sauce:
4 cups blueberries 1 l
½ tsp nutmeg 2 ml
½ tsp cinnamon 2 ml
¾ cup sugar 175 ml
1 tbsp lemon juice 15 ml
½ cup water 125 ml
Dumplings:
2 cups flour 500 ml
4 tsp baking powder 20 ml
½ tsp salt 2 ml
1 tbsp sugar 15 ml
2 tbsp butter or shortening 30 ml
Milk
Method:
Heat berries, spices, sugar, lemon juice and water in a skillet; boil gently until well blended and slightly cooked down. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. Cut in butter and add enough milk to make a soft biscuit dough. Drop by spoonfuls into hot berry sauce. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes (no peeking!). The dumplings should be puffed and well cooked through. Transfer cooked dumplings to serving dishes. Ladle sauce over top; serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Yield: 6-8 servings
More Home and Garden
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
