Did you know that blueberries are the only naturally occurring blue food? You probably did. But did you know they were native to North America? I didn't, but I had never wondered about that before. Sometimes the world I live in is very limited. :)
We are very lucky that we get to pick from Uncle Billy's blueberry bushes every year. Over time he has carefully tended to them so he has several large, prolific ones. Blueberry season here starts at the end of June and goes for several weeks. During that time, we have blueberries for snacks, with our cereal, and some go into the freezer. However, my favorite way to eat them is in a pie mixed with sour cherries. I love a fruit pie.
No discussion of picking blueberries in Maine would be complete without a mention of Wally's favorite book when he was little, Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey. A favorite of mind, too. One reason is that I like to say, "kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk," when Sal drops berries into her bucket. :)
That's about it for today. See you tomorrow when I will switch from fruits to a vegetable. Or will I...
I love blueberries- or bilberries as we call them here. I remember collecting them as a child, but quite difficult to find and pick, hidden in the heather on the hills.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of bilberries, so I looked them up. According to google they are darker, tastier, and more nutritious than the blueberries I'm familiar with. I wonder if I can find some in the US because they sound delicious.
DeleteI bought three blueberry plants, for the first time, this year. They are starting to set fruit and I am hoping I'll be able to pick some before my daughter leaves, because she loves blueberries! There won't be enough for a pie, but, maybe a handful to enjoy eating fresh.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your blueberries. You have a lot of fun with all of the different things you plant in your garden.
DeleteI love blueberries, but I like blackberries and strawberries better. Huckleberries are ok. Love Thimbleberries. Salmon berries a little bit sour for me, but when I'm hiking and find them, I eat them.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to beat a good strawberry and I love wild blackberries. The cultivated ones aren't as tasty. I figured out that thimbleberries are a kind of raspberry which I'm not too fond of--unless I find some when hiking and eat them right off the vine. And thimbleberries grow in the Pacific NW, so I don't think I've ever had one. You know your berries.
DeleteI never really cared much for blueberries until I moved to west Michigan. Fresh berries make all the difference and we have many farms here. I learned that there is a huge variety of blueberries. Like apples, some are sweet and some are more tart. We freeze a bunch of them and are lucky to enjoy them year round.
ReplyDeleteUncle Billy grows several varieties of blueberries, so we get a good mixture when we pick there. From sampling while picking, I do find that some are sweeter than others.
DeleteI have cooked mixed berries (mostly blueberries) in the fridge waiting on a jam session Saturday.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like blueberry season comes sooner in Alabama than it does up here. I'm sure the jam will be delicious.
DeleteNope it is not blueberry season, it is just a salvage operation from the freezer mess.
DeleteI saw after I asked this that you were salvaging thawed foods. Glad you were able to save them.
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