Blueberries are ripe for the picking, and last Sunday was a perfect day to find a pick-your-own blueberry patch.
Picking was easy – high bush berries mean stand-up picking – and I was able to gently rake ripe berries into the pail and leave the green ones behind to ripen. With no pesky insects or thorns to deal with, I picked six pounds of blueberries in less than an hour.
At home, as I separated the leaves, stems and occasional mushy berry from the juicy, tart, berries, I considered blueberry possibilities. So many choices – freshly picked, with yogurt, in pancakes, mixed into muffins, cakes, crisps or buckles, whirled into smoothies, frozen in ice cream, preserved as jam or chutney, or in a pie topped with ice cream.
A blueberry snob may try to convince you that tiny, wild, Maine blueberries, gathered while one is on hands and knees while black flies feast on your neck, are the only blueberries worth eating. Ignore them, or if they come bearing baskets of berries, humor them, in either case know that whether you have wild or cultivated, high or low bush blueberries you are in for a tasty treat with the added health benefits of eating local, fresh fruit.
I put a large bowl of berries into the refrigerator and filled plastic bags with the remaining unwashed berries and froze them. The protective gray-white ‘bloom’ protects the berries so I don’t wash them until I am ready to serve or cook them.
With our friends Annie and Andy coming for a two-day visit I decided to make muffins to greet them when they arrived at mid-night.
Here’s how I made them.
Blueberry Muffins
I filled twelve muffin cups two thirds full of batter and baked them for thirty minutes until the muffins were golden, and a toothpick poked into the center came out clean. Crystallized ginger is optional, I added it because it gives the muffins a bit of a zing and more importantly because Annie loves it and I love Annie. You might choose to add nuts, grated orange rind, cinnamon or cardamom to please the ones you love.
Conversation paused as we enjoyed the sun, the flowers, the food and our friendship.
Google ‘pick your own’ to find a farm near you.
Carol, you mentioned that you freeze your blueberries w/out washing them–I don’t know how you can wash them when thawed. I wash my berries, put them on a small tray, freeze, and then bag frozen berries.
Thanks!
I give them a quick rinse while they are still frozen.
The local farmers’ market opens in about an hour and I plan to pick up blueberries. There is no “pick your own” near me, but that’s okay I’d rather purchase local bounty. And I’m not sure who would want to be pestered and bitten by black flies (I’ve had that “honor”), but I guess they see it as a badge of honor while picking blueberries.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
What was your other favorite?
Blueberries For Sal was one of my two favorite books from childhood!
Awesome!!! We went to a local farm in early summer and picked 15 lbs of blueberries.Awesome! I have about 10 lbs left in my freezer to enjoy throughout the year until next season. So many blueberry ideas!
I love your muffins! I used to go pick bluebberies when I was a kid because there were so much of them behind my house! But they were so small, it was actually a hard job.
Thank you. My husband just arrived with blueberries. I'm going to try dehydrating them later tody. First I have to go and teach a painting class.
Carol – I love your paintings, they cover lot of details. Good job!
I hope to pick some more and dehydrate them in my new oven.
I just got a bunch of fresh blueberries — sadly not hand picked, more like picked from the store.
But your post about muffins inspired me to bake with them if I don't just eat them all beforehand!