July is the start of Blueberry Picking here in Southern New England. The season will go through September if we are lucky. You can pick up your fresh blueberries from a farm stand, market or a pick-your-own farm. I knew I wanted several pounds of Blueberries for different recipes and jam so I chose a pick-your-own farm not farm from our home. The farm weighed our baskets and directed us to the bushes that were in season in their fields. The bushes were loaded with berries and we ended up picking 17lbs. in about an hour and a half.
Once we returned home, I set out to make homemade Blueberry Jam and several recipes to use some of our fresh berries. Here are 5 recipes that make great use of berries so that none go to waste. We also freeze a bunch and eat them fresh by the handful.
1.) Homemade Blueberry Jam: This was on top of my list. My family likes fresh baked bread with Jam and I had made homemade Strawberry and Strawberry Rhubarb back in the spring. Because berry jams have higher pectin and are acidic, you can often get away with no pectin recipes and they are easily water-bath canned. If you find pressure canning intimidating, then water-bath canning jam is an easy-peasy way to start your home canned food journey. I pulled out my Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving book that my Mimi had bought me over 15 years ago. I highly recommend this book if you are new to canning. It is concise and has easy to follow recipes without being overly detailed. The Blueberry Jam recipe was super simple and easy to follow. It yielded me 6 half-pints, a delicious addition to my pantry storage.
- 9 cups crushed berries
- 6 cups of sugar
2.) Blueberry Cake : My family loves having various sweet breads or cakes with breakfast or an afternoon snack. Having lots of experience with banana bread and cornbread- two of my family’s favorites, I decided that making a blueberry cake would be fun for the 4th of July holiday the next day. I found a delicious recipe for a Blueberry Crumb Cake but omitted the crumb topping to reduce the overall amount of sugar and calories. Here is the original recipe: https://entertainingwithbeth.com/blueberry-crumb-cake-recipe/ . The cake was moist and sweet and the blueberries stayed juicy after baking. It was a hit with my family and they didn’t even notice that the crumb topping was missing. I’m so glad I altered the recipe as the cake was definitely sweet enough without it.
3.) Blueberry Pancakes: Pancakes are a family favorite in our house. Whether they are plain with maple syrup, chocolate chip or fruit filled. They are always fluffy and delicious. I make a bulk recipe dry mix that allows me to whip up homemade pancakes on a busy school morning. Just a couple of wet ingredients need to be added and you are ready to cook.
Pancake Dry Mix in bulk:
- 4 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
When you are ready to make the pancakes:
- 1 cup dry mix from above recipe
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
This recipe has been used in my family for quite a while and creates the fluffiest pancakes ever. Depending on your family size, you may want to double the recipe. They seriously are perfect. I used this basic recipe and mixed in a cup of blueberries. Be careful when folding in the blueberries so you don’t burst them and turn your whole mix blue! Add a few more blueberries to your stack and a little maple syrup if you desire.
4. Blueberry and Greens Smoothie : This is a super simple way of getting your daily greens and using your fresh berries. When making a smoothie there are a million different ways you can mix up your veggies and greens. I typically do not measure and use up whatever I have growing in my garden or stored in my fridge that morning.
I will usually add a couple handful of mixed greens, this can be spinach, kale, collards, lettuce etc. Then add a handful of fresh berries. If I am feeling like really kicking up the health factor, I might add some ginger, turmeric, and herbs. It is also great to add some seeds like flax or chia for the omega-3s. The key when making a good smoothie is to use a high powered blender so that everything is completely blended smooth and no chunks! There is nothing worse then getting a chunky smoothie!
5. Blueberry Oatmeal: Another simple way of using your fresh or frozen blueberries after visiting a pick-your-own Blueberry farm. We keep frozen blueberries stocked in our freezer at all times. These come in handy for a quick fiber filled breakfast on a busy school or work day. Oatmeal and blueberries are a perfect combination. No need to add additional sugar or other ingredients if you don’t want to.
I make our oatmeal in 1/3 cup servings, mixed with blueberries this is typically very filling and holds us over until lunch time. I’ll also add a sprinkle of cinnamon and maybe half a banana if we have some on hand. I use two types of oatmeal in our house, organic rolled oats from One degree that I get at Costco. These are also certified Glyphosate free and non-gmo. These are for busy mornings when we don’t have a lot of time. I also keep Steel cut oats in our pantry for the mornings when I want a chewy heartier oatmeal but this takes a bit longer to cook.
I highly recommend going to a pick-your-own farm with your family. So get outdoors, in the sunshine and enjoy this family friendly healthy activity!
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