BLUEBERRIES July 2, 2006 Susan Noble Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent

Americans love their blueberries. If all the pint boxes of blueberries sold in one season were put together, they would fill the Empire State Building with enough left over to cover the Statue of Liberty. No wonder we celebrate July as National Blueberry Month.

Our love affair with blueberries began with the native tribes of North America. Long before the Europeans landed in the New World, the Indians gathered wild sapphire-colored berries as a food staple. They called these star berries because of the star-shaped calyx on top of each berry.

The colonists were introduced to blueberries by the Indians and took to them at once. They created cobblers, pies, preserves, and syrups. I suspect that even a little blueberry brandy was produced for long, cold winters.

Blueberry Industry Develops
The Indians and colonists enjoyed wild blueberries. Cultivated berries are a more recent development. In the early 1900s, Frederick Colville, a New Jersey botanist, set out to create an easy-to-grow blueberry for home gardens and farms. He crossed different wild varieties to produce the forerunner of today's cultivated berries.

Most cultivated blueberries are highbush plants which grow 10 to 15 feet high and can be easily harvested by hand or machine. Wild blueberries still exist and grow on lowbush plants. Wild blueberries are prized by bakers for their ability to hold their shape during cooking. In fact, almost the entire wild crop is snapped up by commercial companies for their blueberry muffin and pancake mixes.

North Carolina Blueberries
North Carolina's blueberry industry began in 1936 when Harold Huntington of New York bought 1,000 acres of land between Atkinson and Ivanhoe. For the geographically challenged, this area is in the southeastern corner of the state about 40 miles from Wilmington.

Huntington got a good deal on his land - one dollar per acre - because it was considered worthless swamp. The Federal Land Bank would not lend him money for the purchase. But Huntington went forward planting blueberry bushes he brought in from New Jersey.

A second tract was purchased by Gale Harrison from New Jersey for the whopping sum of $7 per acre. The two newcomers worked with local farmers and soon a business was born. They affiliated with a distributor in New Jersey and the crop was shipped by railroad from Atkinson.

New Jersey had been the blueberry capital, but the expansion of blueberries to North Carolina created an early crop in June to supplement what New Jersey produced in August.

Today, North Carolina ranks fourth in the United States for blueberry production, producing an average of 12 million pounds per year. From the first 100 acres of bearing bushes, North Carolina now has over 2,900 harvestable acres from the coast to the mountains. Our berries are normally harvested mid-May throughout the summer depending on variety.

Nutritive Value
The Native American medicine men discovered long ago what we still find true today. The blueberry is good for us.

Blueberries contain more disease-fighting, age-proofing antioxidants than practically any other fruit. Eating just one-half a cup of blueberries a day may provide more antioxidants than five servings of most other fruits and vegetables.

Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, which has been shown to have anticancer properties. And they've got fiber, vitamins A and C, iron, and trace minerals. You get all this great nutrition for only 45 calories per half-cup serving.

Selection and Storage
Fresh blueberries should be firm and plump. The berries should be deep blue in color; reddish berries are not ripe but are suitable for baking. A silvery sheen on blueberries, which is called "the bloom," is a sign of freshness.

Another freshness check is to shake the container of blueberries. The berries should move easily; if not, they may be soft and stuck together. Also inspect the container itself. If it is a wooden or cardboard box and is damp or stained, the berries inside may be crushed, moldy, or decayed.

Store berries covered in the refrigerator. Do not wash berries until just prior to using. Berries should keep 7-10 days.

For best quality, before refrigerating berries, empty them from their container into a bowl and remove any that are crushed or moldy. Then return the berries to their container and refrigerate. This will prevent the other berries from going bad too quickly.

To freeze blueberries, simply transfer them from their original container to a resealable, freezer-proof plastic bag. You can also place a pint container of berries directly into a resealable, freezer bag.

Another option is to arrange dry berries on a cookie sheet in a single layer and place it in the freezer. When the berries are frozen, transfer them to plastic freezer bags or containers. This technique gives you individually frozen berries, so you can easily remove only the amount of frozen berries you need at one time.

Preparation
Before cooking or eating fresh blueberries, remove any leaves, stems, or unripened (reddish) berries. Then rinse and pat dry.

Commercially frozen berries do not need to be rinsed before use. Home frozen berries should be quickly rinsed under cold running water.

Let frozen berries thaw for a few minutes at room temperature before adding them to uncooked dishes such as fruit salads. If using frozen berries in cooked dishes, thawing is not necessary. You can go on and add the berries to the dish but do increase cooking time.

There is an advantage to adding frozen berries instead of fresh to a batter. Blueberries often change color when cooked due to chemical reactions. Using frozen berries in batters tends to reduce the amount of color streaking in the finished product.

To add blueberries to pancakes or waffles, try this technique. Go on and pour the batter on the hot pan; then sprinkle the berries (fresh or frozen) on top of the pancakes or waffles letting the batter rise up around the berries. If you were to add the berries to your bowl of batter, they would sink to the bottom and not be evenly distributed in the batter. Then someone would complain they got gypped while so-and-so's pancakes were loaded with berries.

If using frozen berries in pancakes or waffles, remember to increase the cooking time to be sure the berries are heated through.

Legend and Lore
Blueberries were used in folk medicine. Their roots were brewed into a soothing tea to help women through childbirth. Tribal medicine men used blueberry juice and syrup to cure coughs. Wild bears like blueberries as much as humans do. They will walk 10-15 miles a day to reach a patch of blueberries. As the berries ripen from the valleys up into the mountains, the bears follow along. Blueberry Grunt is not a noise made by a bear looking for berries; it is one of the first dessert recipes developed by the early American colonists. It resembled a cobbler and could be baked or boiled.

The singer Fats Domino got a thrill with his chart-topping song about Blueberry Hill in 1956. The poet Robert Frost celebrated blueberries in one of his poems. The blueberry belongs to the same plant family as the flowering azalea.

Recipes
For more recipes, visit the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's web site. Go to "Choose a Division" and select Marketing. From there click on Horticulture Crops and then Blueberries.

Take a tip from early Native Americans and enjoy blueberries with meat as a main dish. The sauce should also be good with grilled chicken.

Dredge chops in seasoned flour. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; then add oil. Heat skillet and lightly brown chops. Transfer browned chops to baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover dish and bake chops 1 hour at 350 degrees.

When chops are almost done, heat stock to boiling in medium saucepan; add orange juice concentrate and sherry. Mix cornstarch with water and add to stock mixture; cook and stir till thickened. Reduce heat to low and stir in berries and cream. Place pork chops on platter and pour enough sauce over them to moisten. Serve remaining sauce separately.

Recipe adapted from Farm and Dairy Newsletter.

About blueberries with meats, this relish is my favorite way to use blueberries. I use it for glazing baked ham. People always want more, so I serve extra relish on the side.

For a different and easy finger food, pair the relish with cream cheese and crackers. If you should have any relish left over, try it over vanilla ice cream; it's wonderful I promise.

This is not a processed relish. It must be stored in the refrigerator and kept for only 7-9 days.

Combine the first 7 ingredients in large saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring mixture to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Transfer relish to a storage container and refrigerate.

Combine fruit and orange juice, mixing well. Place fruit in 9-inch pie plate or 4 individual ramekins. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and process just till crumbly. (Mixture can also be combined with a fork.) Sprinkle mixture over fruit. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40-45 minutes for pie plate or 35-40 minutes for ramekins or till fruit is bubbly.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In large bowl, combine pasta with remaining ingredients except dressing and mix. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly. Refrigerate till ready to serve.

Yields 6 (1-cup) servings.

Recipe from the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association.

These muffins freeze well, so make extra to microwave for a quick breakfast.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, 1 cup Sugar Lite, baking powder, peel, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in medium-sized bowl. Stir in sour cream, melted butter, milk, egg, and vanilla till well blended. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill paper-lined 2 1/2-inch muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter. Combine 2 tablespoons Sugar Lite and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over muffins. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or till wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan 5 minutes; remove and cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe from Equal.

Combine blueberries and sugar in medium saucepan. Mix water and cornstarch; stir into blueberries. Cook mixture at a simmer till sauce is thickened. Let cool. Spoon blueberry filling into crust, reserving 1/2 cup of filling for decorating top of pie. Spoon ice cream over blueberry filling. Stir orange juice into reserved blueberry filling; drizzle this mixture over top of pie. Freeze. Remove pie 30 minutes before serving to thaw enough to cut into wedges.

Yields 1 pie.

Following directions on package, bake pie shell; let cool. Blend together cream cheese and evaporated milk. Spread cheese mixture in bottom of pie shell. Blend blueberries with water, sugar, and cornstarch in saucepan and cook till thickened, stirring constantly. Let cool. When cool, pour blueberry mixture over cheese layer in pie shell. Chill pie till ready to serve. Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream.

Yields 1 pie.

Recipe from North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

This recipe comes from the North Carolina Blueberry Festival held annually in Burgaw.

Following directions, bake pie shell; cool. In microwavable dish, combine jam and cinnamon. Microwave on high till mixture liquefies, about 1 minute. Stir in blueberries. Spoon blueberry mixture into prepared shell. Chill. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Yields 1 pie.

Use this sauce to top off cake -- pound, angel, or cheese.

In large saucepan, combine water, rind, juice, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat till slightly thickened. Stir in marshmallow cream and blueberries. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly. Pour into a bowl, cover, and chill till ready to serve.

Recipe from NCDA.

Our neighbor, White Lake, is in the heart of blueberry country. Apparently, some locals developed this recipe and shared it with the folks at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

In mixer bowl, combine cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups sugar; beat till creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour cheese mixture into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix sour cream, vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar. Fold in blueberries. Pour blueberry mixture over cheesecake and bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan. Heat butter and milk in small saucepan over medium heat till butter melts; remove from heat. Set aside, but keep warm.

To easily peel peaches, fill medium saucepan with water and bring to boil. Fill large bowl with ice water. Score an X in top and bottom of peaches. Submerge peaches in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon and immerse briefly in the cold water. Slip peels from peaches and cut peaches into 1/2-inch pieces.

Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer till thick and pale, about 5 minutes. With mixer on lower speed, beat in baking powder and salt till well blended. Add flour in 2 batches, alternating with warm butter mixture. Fold in peaches and blueberries just till blended. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes or till toothpick comes out clean. Remove pan from oven to wire cooling rack. Let cake cool completely in pan. Run thin, sharp knife around edge of pan and the tube. Invert cake onto rack, and then place topside up on serving plate.

The use of brand names in this column does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service of the products or services named or criticism of similar ones not mentioned.

E-mail address: Susan_Noble@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 07/11/06