Super Berry

Blueberries are one of the items that consistently appears on the popular “superfoods” list – packed with antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium and vitamin C. These beautiful little orbs offer a lot of flavor in an easy-to-transport size.

Starting about the second week in July, Berkshire farms are bursting with blueberries. The pick-your-own farms are a fun way to spend an afternoon and let the family see first-hand how the crops are grown.

Last year I made several trips to Old Barn Farm in Goshen, CT, where they hand you a bucket and set you off to gather your own. They offer picking amongst 5,000 bushes in 19 varieties that have been planted over 10 acres. I like blueberries, but mostly I went back a few times because the scenery was so magnificent and the bushes so plentiful, that it was a very relaxing adventure. Although we still have some packages of blueberries in our freezer, I can’t wait until the farm opens again this year!

Blueberries are easy to freeze – gently rinse the blueberries, dry them with paper towels then place them in resealable plastic bags or freezer containers and store them in the freezer. The blueberries will freeze individually, so you can easily take out exactly how many you need each time. It’s simple to take a handful for a tasty and healthy addition to your morning yogurt or bowl of cereal. What a delicious way to start the day!

My earliest memories of blueberries go hand-in-hand with my mom’s favorite recipe for blueberry muffins.

Blueberry Muffins

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
Grated zest of one lemon
3 cups of fresh blueberries – lightly dusted with flour
Turbinado (raw) sugar for topping

1. Grease and flour a dozen muffin cups or use paper liners. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon juice until light and fluffy.

3. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in the lemon zest.

6. Gently fold in the blueberries.

7. Generously fill each muffin cup and sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until done.

Check out our article on Old Barn Farm, one of Our Favorite Things.