I've loved summer berries since I was eight, when my sister and I foraged for them on open suburban lots and forest preserves. I still savor the experience: a spurt of sweet-tart juice and crunchy seeds mixed with their wild floral fragrance. The fact we were gathering fruit from thorny canes in dense mosquito-infested underbrush in the wild increased our pleasure.
I still hunger for those berries, but now I purchase them at the supermarket. Today’s commercially grown berries are bigger and juicier than the wild ones, but their flavors are not as intense. I'm not about to complain! I have become a fan of the blueberry which did not grow wild in Chicago, but now is available almost year round.
I’m not the only one who’s a blueberry fan. These firm dark berries with their dusty white bloom have come to rival the strawberry in popularity. The reason is simple. The blueberry is hands-down the easiest berry to add to meals. Sprinkle them on cereal, salads, smoothies, desserts. Fold them into muffins, pancakes and sweet breads. Blueberries are also an excellent candidate for freezing. A firm skin and small seeds help preserve their character. And there's more.
In recent years, when berries were tested for their health benefits, the blueberry turned out to be richest in critical fatty acids, anti-oxidant phytonutrients and essential amino acids. These nutrients, in turn, account for findings that blueberries guard against hardening of the arteries; they can improve memory, inhibit fat cells and protect against diabetes and cancer. What a great way to self-medicate!
To get into the blueberry mood, I recommend you try a quick, tasty cold BLUEBERRY SOUP from Judith Jones' cookbook, Cooking for One. I've served it as a starter and as a dessert.
For a big pancake breakfast I depend on Bob's Red Barn 10 Grain Pancake Mix or his Date Nut Muffin Mixes. Just add fresh blueberries to taste to the mix. Bob uses a stone-wheel to grind his grains which means they have a wonderful mouth-feel and rich, whole grain flavor. Here is an instant Blueberry Syrup recipe for pancakes: combine 2 tablespoons each sugar and water for each cup of blueberries in a saucepan. Add a stick of cinnamon as well. Simmer the berries for 5 or until they are soft. Voila! They're ready to pour over hot cakes.
It takes just a little longer to make jam. Blueberries are loaded with natural pectin which means that their juices thicken quickly when reduced and require little additional sugar. And what benefits! Jars of BLUEBERRY JAM in your cupboard will provide the taste of summer for months to come.
