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Berry
Bountiful, Part II: Blueberries!
Chesapeake
Foodie goes picking, with "in the nick of time" help from Rachel Rappaport of Coconut & Lime. See below for her recipes: Blueberry Buckle, and Blueberry-Ginger Ice Box Cake. The lure of summer's fresh fruit continues — and probably will continue to do so through peaches and apples,
so just be warned — with blueberries now burgeoning. Ahh... Blueberries
are so easy. There's really not much prep other than procuring and washing. Even picking is superfast; the bushes are
waist-high, the berries literally fall into your hands. Last week, we visited
our nearby u-pick place, Lockbriar Farms. The Philistines had been through the weekend before and virtually stripped the bushes, so the owners were letting the next
round ripen before they opened the field. We will be first in line this time. But the size of the berries. Good Lord! They
were as big as dimes, and just as greed-inducing. From PickYourOwn.org, here are some tips for handling blueberries:
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| The berry at right is fully ripened. |
Picking and Storing Tips:
- Picking: Select plump, full blueberries
with a dark gray-blue color.
- Important! A berry with
any hint of red isn't fully ripened, and once picked, blueberries won't ripen any further.
- Since blueberries hang on the bushes in bunches a bit like grapes do, here’s the
easiest and fastest way to pick them: With one hand, hold your bucket under a bunch. With your other hand, cup a ripe bunch
and gently rub them with your fingers. The ripe berries will drop into your bucket, while the unripe ones will remain
attached to the bush.
- Storing picked berries: If they’re still
warm from the sun, don't put them in a closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn't form.
- Don't wash berries until just before using. Washing can make them mushy.
- Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. If refrigerated,
fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
- Freezing: Blueberries
freeze well. To freeze, place unwashed berries on a tray, one layer deep in the freezer. (Washing toughens the skin.) Once
frozen, it’s easy to pour the individual berries into freezer containers in desired amounts.
- Remember: both frozen and fresh berries should be rinsed and drained before serving. Just
before using, wash the berries in cold water.
Health and Nutritional Info:
Blueberries are ranked No. 1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially
available fruits and vegetables. That means a serving of blueberries has more of the antioxidant power you need to fight aging,
cancer and heart disease.
Weights and measures: 1 cup of blueberries normally weighs
about 143 grams, which is about 1/3 of a pound, so 1 pound of blueberries is about 3 cups. Of course, this can vary wildly,
based on the variety, weather conditions and degree of ripeness.
Nutrition and miscellaneous
facts: - 1 cup (143 grams) of blueberries is 84 calories, and
about 20 g of carbohydrates.
- Blueberries contain no cholesterol or fat.
- Blueberries are high in dietary fiber, Vitamin A and niacin. They contain iron and other trace minerals and are a
fair source of Vitamin C.
- Blueberries have a diverse range of micronutrients, with notably
high levels (relative to respective Dietary Reference Intakes) of the essential dietary mineral manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin
C, vitamin K and dietary fiber (table below).
- One serving provides a relatively low glycemic
load score of 4 out of 100 per day.
[Source: pickyourown.org/blueberries]
Blueberry Buckle: Is there a dessert name more fun to say than “blueberry buckle?”
I think not, especially during blueberry season. It is fun to say, fun to serve and you can amaze your guests by informing
them of the difference between a buckle and just a coffee cake: “A buckle is a coffee cake with berries and streusel
topping, didn't you know?” Anyway, my husband said this is the best blueberry buckle he's ever tasted and this includes ones he mistakenly called coffee cakes. And I don't
think he is just saying that to make me feel better about baking while it's literally 100 degrees out. It really is just
that good.
Ingredients for the cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups
blueberries*
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, at room temperature
For the streusel:
1/4
cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Preheat the oven to 375. Butter and flour or spray with cooking spray with flour a 9-inch springform pan. In a medium
bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar
until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour
until a thick dough forms Carefully fold in blueberries. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix
together all of the streusel ingredients until a rough crumb forms. You can achieve this by using a fork, pulsing a food processor
or briefly mixing with an electric mixer. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the raw cake. Bake about 50 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out dry. Remove to a wire tack to cool. After about 15 minutes, release the buckle from the pan
and serve.
* If you are using frozen blueberries, do NOT thaw them before use.
Blueberry Ginger Ice Box Pie
How much do I love ice box pies? So named because they require no baking and set up in the refrigerator (the
ice box), they are perfect for summer. This blueberry pie shows off the flavor of the blueberries with a minimum of fuss —
there isn't even a top crust to compete with the fruit. I actually like this version of blueberry pie more than the traditional
lattice crust way for just that reason — more blueberry flavor. The ginger adds just a tiny bit of spice, a sort of
refreshing side note to the blueberries' sweetness.
Ingredients:
5 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1-inch knob fresh ginger, grated
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 10-inch graham cracker crust*
*You can make your own graham
cracker crust or you can cheat and use a prepared crust like I did — it was on sale for only $1. Frankly, I find that
when it comes to a plain graham cracker crust it is a rare occurrence for someone to be able tell the difference between a
homemade and store-bought anyway, so when they are on sale, I stock up. Prepared crusts are great for when you (like I am
today) are taking pies to parties — you don't have to worry about getting your pie plate back.
For more of Rachel Rappaport's recipes, visit www.Coconut & Lime.com
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