One Thing, Three Ways: Blueberries
My first paid job, not counting babysitting, was picking cherries. As middle schoolers, my sister and I would ride our bikes from our little town just outside Maastricht, in the southern part of the Netherlands, to the town to the north of us and spend all day picking cherries with the sisters who lived next door to us. While I can easily get bored with any other repetitive task, there is something about picking fruits and vegetables that I find fulfilling. Lucky for me, it’s blueberry season here Somewhere-in-the-Middle-of-the-USA.
We have six young blueberry and raspberry plants in our back yard garden, but collectively, they only yield about a handful of fruit each day. Fortunately, there is also a fantastic berry patch not too terribly far away. In addition to picking our handful of berries in the back yard yesterday, we picked ten pounds of blueberries at the Patch this morning. The garage freezer has eight quarter bags in place now and they will be joined by others throughout the picking season. The goal is to pick enough berries to last us from the end of this year’s season until the beginning of the next.
Do you have a favorite shot below? What’s your favorite way to eat blueberries?
Berry Photo #1. Yesterday’s back yard “harvest” after Sofia helped herself to a few.
Berry Photo #2. Sofia showing off yesterday’s back yard “harvest.”
Berry Photo #3. One of hundreds of bushes in more than 20 blueberry patches at The Berry Patch.
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I like all three shots, but my favorite is the third. My favorite way to eat blueberries is by the handful from a BIG bowl of freshly picked berries! They’re one of my very favorite foods on the planet (along with cherries and blackberries).
I like the 3rd the best. I love blueberry muffins!
I like them all though my favorite is number 2. The DOF is great in that image.
I like the first the best. I like the perspective and the arrangement of the fruit. I know what you mean about harvesting — it’s very tough work when you’re doing it for any extended period of time, but it is also kind of peaceful and nice in its own way.
My favorite way to eat blueberries is just raw, but I do love them thrown together with blueberries in a smoothie along with vanilla yogurt and maybe a banana and a some other fruits…
I like how Sof’s hands look like they’re forming a heart. Also love the berry patch one.
–Auntie B
Hmm I’d have to say two or three 🙂 Your daughter has cute little nails! HAHA
How do you prep your blueberries before you freeze them? I put in 6 blueberry bushes last year, and am hoping to get enough crop this year to warrant freezing some. Are there any tricks worth knowing for a better result when thawing? I’m very curious, and love the idea of having blueberries year round. Thanks for bring the subject up. I wish I had a cherry tree, too. I do love cherries, as well. 🙂
Dear Orples, here’s what has worked out well for us over the years.
1. Sort through all of the berries and pick out any stray stems, red berries, split berries, etc.
2. Do NOT wash the berriers before you freeze them. (Washing them first makes a huge mess and freezes them all together in an unruly blob.)
3. Put them into quart-sized freezer bags and freeze flat. (You can then move them around as you like once frozen.)
4. Mark them well, including the date you froze them. (Of course, use the oldest first.)
5. Remove the needed amount of berries for your recipe and rinse with cool water. That’s all we do to defrost and wash.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for your quick reply. I have always washed my blueberries first (what few times I’ve frozen them, usually as a result of buying them bulk from the store), and they always ended up freezer burned. That is why I asked. So again, thank you for your advice. Hopefully, I will be using it before this year’s season is over. In the meantime, have a terrific ‘remaining’ weekend and week ahead. 🙂
Let me know how washing later works out for your blueberries!
I think washing the blueberries first is where I went wrong. Especially if you’re having good results. My blueberries always come out of the freezer burnt and bitter. So I suspect, washing is my problem. No need to wait to clue you in. From here on out, I’ll pop my blueberries in the freezer as is, and wash them immediately before I use them.
Your first shot is my favorite! Nice work with depth of field! I love blueberries too, so the subject was great! 🙂
Many decades ago I loved blueberries, but the ones we get in the store here just don’t taste like they did those years of yore.
I know what you mean, Russel, that’s why you have to grow or pick your own! 🙂
My favorite is the third. I live the contrast of colors with the leaves. Wonderful!
Thanks so much, Renee!