Subject: Obit: Blueberries are here From: RangerSteve Date: 19 Jun 07 - 05:40 PM OK, they've been here for a while, shipped from Lord knows where (Chile?), and in half-pint boxes at pint prices. But North Carolina blueberries are available at affordable prices and next will be Jersey berries, then Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan and Canada. A whole summer of blueberries. Summer starts when North American blueberries are in the stores. (I'm not slighting west coast bb's, they just don't get shipped out this way). Anyway, I've done muffins, corn bread, Irish soda bread with bb's, along with bb short cake. Does anyone have any other recipes for blueberries that they care to share? |
Subject: RE: Obit: Blueberries are here From: RangerSteve Date: 19 Jun 07 - 05:41 PM Oh Hell, damn, crap. I thought I made this a BS, but hit Obit by mistake. Please, someone change this. I'm sorry. Damn damn damn damn damn..... |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: katlaughing Date: 19 Jun 07 - 05:49 PM Got it for ya.:-) I mixed them in with half plain yoghurt and half cottage cheese. Makes a great veggie, protein rich meal. I also use them in smoothies with rice milk, rice protein powder, and a banana. Yummy! |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Arkie Date: 19 Jun 07 - 06:05 PM The blueberries we get in Arkansas will certainly be from somewhere else this year. A late freeze in the state wiped out our Arkansas blueberries. I hope it did not do permanent damage to the plants. At least we still have some blueberries in the freezer from last year. They will last a while. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 19 Jun 07 - 07:10 PM I have hundreds of wild blueberry bushes on my property in northwest Florida. We're far enough south that we weren't hurt by that late cold snap, but what's hurt us has been lack of rain. We've been picking for a couple of weeks already, but much of the crop so far has been too sour and seedy to eat. Fortunately, we've had a couple of inches of rain over the last few days and the berries are starting to plump up a bit and turn a bit sweeter. As long as it doesn't rain so much that they explode we might have a decent year after all. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Rapparee Date: 19 Jun 07 - 07:51 PM Wash, mix with a little sugar, mash very slightly, serve over angel food cake, top with creme fraiche. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: pattyClink Date: 19 Jun 07 - 07:56 PM We're winding down our season here, a bit sparse with the dry weather. put your pancake batter on the griddle, sprinkle some berries on top, cook, flip, rinse, repeat. spread them on a cookie sheet and freeze, then stick in freezer bags, use in the winter. add to LEMON muffins rather than plain. use in muffins with cranberries and nuts as well, nice combination. But, incredibly, the highest and best use of blueberries is the simplest (okay, not counting pick-one-eat-one). Ready? This is it, the best. Pick at dawn if possible. Put a bunch of them atop a bowl of Rice Krispies. Sprinkle gently with sweetener. Add whole milk. Chow down. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: bobad Date: 19 Jun 07 - 08:04 PM Blueberry Grunt Sauce 2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries 1/4-1/2 cup (50-125mL) granulated sugar 1/3 cup (75 mL) water Dumplings 1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder 1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) butter 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) shortening 1/3-1/2cup (75-125 mL) milk vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, as garnish Directions Wash and drain berries, combine with sugar and water and bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until berries are soft and sauce begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender. Stir in just enough milk to make a soft dough. Drop the batter by spoonfuls on top of the simmering berry sauce. Immediately cover saucepan and cook over medium heat without removing cover for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream orwhipped cream. Serves 4-6. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Bee Date: 19 Jun 07 - 08:51 PM Wild blueberry jam: Pick the blueberries, making sure you have about fifteen to twenty percent under-ripe (natural pectin). Wash, put in pot, don't add water. Add sugar to taste. Simmer until berries begin to burst. Put up as you like in jam jars, or just leave in covered bowl in fridge and let the family have at it on bread, biscuits, etc. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: pattyClink Date: 19 Jun 07 - 08:59 PM ooohh, that sounds good! |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 19 Jun 07 - 09:36 PM I can hardly wait to get to the swamp and see what kind of season will have. Bobad you better keep your fingers crossed and with luck I'll have a bucket for you come festival time. beer (adrien) |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: bobad Date: 19 Jun 07 - 09:51 PM What makes for a good blueberry season around your parts, Beer? |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:08 PM I believe it's about the same anywhere in Canada. If there is a late frost and the flowers are out then a lousy crop to be had. Other countries I don't know. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: bobad Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:18 PM Was there a late frost out your way this spring? |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: paddymac Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:48 PM I used to have a place with blueberries and Flor-Ala peaches. I refused to use all the sprays and other cultivation tricks to make pretty peaches, so they were usually sort of stunted and with lots a bug bites. One time, for lack of any other idea of what to do with the peaches, I made a batch of peach-blueberry preserves. Instant success. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 19 Jun 07 - 10:49 PM Late frosts probably do more damage to farm-raised blueberries than to wild plants. There's more genetic diversity in a wild population so all the plants don't bloom at once. A single late hard frost might knock out the plants that are already in bloom, but it won't hurt the ones that haven't yet bloomed. It takes an unlikely series of three frosts at the right times to kill all my plants' bloosoms. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Bee Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:07 PM Blossoms have been out here about two weeks (but this is cold, wet, coastal - inland a bit they were earlier, no doubt). The flowers this year are large and numerous, so with luck and enough bees, a good year. And soon it will be strawberry time, whereon I shall as usual make a pig of myself! |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: bobad Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:10 PM Strawberries began two days ago around here and look good, I plan on getting a basket tomorrow. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Ebbie Date: 19 Jun 07 - 11:38 PM Years ago a friend turned me on to fresh fruit pureed and puffy with just a dash of sugar, if needed, on top of pancakes instead of syrup. Lovely. Peach is my favorite but most berries are also wonderful. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: katlaughing Date: 20 Jun 07 - 12:02 AM bobad, that sounds delicious! They started picking sweet cherries on June 5th around here. They are very large this year, but the grower said there weren't very many. It's been dry, that may be why. The apricots are ready, too, and peaches will be soon. Fresh peach ice cream is a fav. of mine! |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 20 Jun 07 - 07:58 AM We did have a late frost but not to damaging I hope. Picking up a basket of strawberries today. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 11 Jul 07 - 12:10 PM Just spent 2 hours in the swamps and got about a piece of pies worth. Not good, not good at all. the bushes are almost completely without. Will check a different spot in a week or two. Bobad, I maybe returning your buckets empty. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: bobad Date: 11 Jul 07 - 03:46 PM Well that's too bad, looks like a big berry bummer for this summer, however we always have next year to look forward to, mother nature can be fickle. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Stilly River Sage Date: 11 Jul 07 - 03:59 PM In Western Washington in the Cascade mountains I used to pick huckleberries and blueberries. There are red and blue huckleberries so you tell the difference by the plant shape and the size of the berries. Huckleberries are much smaller. Mix any of them together in muffins and they're beautiful (and if you leave out the whole wheat flour to get the light batter you can do red, white, and blue muffins for July 4). SRS |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 14 Jul 12 - 04:13 PM 4 years ago on the 11th I wrote that there were no Blueberries. I will be going in the swamps hopefully tomorrow to check what is happening for 2012. Adrien |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Jack the Sailor Date: 14 Jul 12 - 04:28 PM We have blueberry bushes in front of our porch. We have a good yield this year. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Wesley S Date: 14 Jul 12 - 08:17 PM I was surprised to read recently that here in Georgia - blueberries have surpassed peaches as a money crop. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Jack the Sailor Date: 14 Jul 12 - 09:26 PM interesting Wesley |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Arkie Date: 15 Jul 12 - 09:46 AM Last year was another bad year for blueberries in Arkansas. This year was much better. But we did not wait for the big plump berries. We loaded up as soon as we had a chance and have several shelves in the freezer full. We should make it until the next crop. The Dept of Agriculture in Arkansas introduced blueberry farming several years ago after studies on which areas of the state were most suitable. Fortunately, Stone County now has several blueberry farms including one big operation that ships berries out of state. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Charmion Date: 15 Jul 12 - 10:25 AM Eastern Ontario is serious blueberry country, and the first pick is already in the markets here in the city. Unfortunately, we're also having a drought this year, so the rest of the season is in doubt, not least because the bears will be hungry and pickers don't like competing with the bruins. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 15 Jul 12 - 03:18 PM We've had an odd blueberry year. Some of our bushes that are usually good producers haven't done anything while others have born bumper crops. I suspect the warmer than average winter caused the early bloomers to flower before the bumblebees that are their main pollinators hatched out. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Allan C. Date: 16 Jul 12 - 06:30 AM Our BB bushes (high bush) were pruned somewhat radically two years ago. Last year we got more at one picking than we had ever gotten in the total of the five prior years. This year we are getting close to a quart from each picking of two bushes. Wonderful! Carmen's current favorite thing to do with them is to spread peanut butter on a slice of bread and then cram as many blueberries as possible into the PB. She says it is great tasting and that she gets a lot of "mileage" off a single serving. Lately she is wondering if it is possible to overdose one's self on blueberries. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: kendall Date: 16 Jul 12 - 06:55 AM If I were to get caught buying blueberries from anywhere but Maine they would deport me to Massachusetts. Never buy any edibles from Chile; they still use DDT you know. We banned it here but we still sell it to other countries. It's called capitalism. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: kendall Date: 16 Jul 12 - 07:00 AM By the way, Maine is the biggest producer of wild blueberries in the world. 15%. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: gnu Date: 16 Jul 12 - 11:19 AM kendall... this denotes otherwise. But, it may be incorrect. Where did you learn of DDT in Chile. It is of concern to me. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Midchuck Date: 16 Jul 12 - 11:29 AM Started picking blackberries today. Filled a 2-quart pan, the first day picking. Traditionally, they come ripe in the beginning of August, here (Central VT). P. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 16 Jul 12 - 11:34 AM Well , here are som interesting ststs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry#United_States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 16 Jul 12 - 11:12 PM Haven't went out to check as yet. Had rain the last few days. Not enough to get your pencil wet but enought to discourage picking wet berries. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. But man do we need rain. I have a feeling that all that will be there will be shriveled up berries. ad. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 17 Jul 12 - 07:24 AM Another wait. It's pouring. Hopefully tomorrow. ad. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: bobad Date: 17 Jul 12 - 07:50 AM You're lucky to be getting rain - we're shrivelling up here. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: gnu Date: 18 Jul 12 - 05:19 AM Same here. One 20 minute heavy shower in a few weeks on my lawn. Mind, I ain't mowing much and my back enjoys that part of it. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: EBarnacle Date: 19 Jul 12 - 01:05 AM We keep it simple. Mix our picked wild berries in with homemade yogurt, either frozen or regular. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: kendall Date: 19 Jul 12 - 09:18 PM Yahoo and google are so handy when I have a question. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 19 Jul 12 - 10:13 PM Picked 7 liters today. Looks good but I will have to be on alert. Very strong evidence that black bear visited as well. I have a starting pistol that I think I'll take with me. Along with my filleting knife. I'll go around 11 in the morning as they or it should be finished eating by then. ad. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: gnu Date: 20 Jul 12 - 07:46 AM Beer... make a fair bit of noise and take a buddy with you. They often eat from first light until full and then take a nap very close to or IN the feeding area, especially if there is a breeze. As for a knife, good idea but a long pointy stick is my preference. I used to keep an ash stick about 12' long at my camp and always had one in my truck about 6'6" that doubled as a walking staff. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 20 Jul 12 - 08:08 AM Walking stick I also carry in my truck but to take it in the swamp/brush area would only hinder my movement. Think I'll take my camera today. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 20 Jul 12 - 05:48 PM Had a great day. Here are a few pictures. Ad. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 20 Jul 12 - 06:02 PM Oops!! that shouldn't have happened. Maybe a clone could remove my blue link please. Thanks, ad. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 20 Jul 12 - 10:31 PM Thank you. ad. |
Subject: RE: Blueberries are here From: Beer Date: 20 Jul 12 - 10:53 PM I think I got it. https://plus.google.com/u/0/105264597814788639848#photos/105264597814788639848/albums/5767447228715604913 YES!! ad. |
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