This weekend my friend Chaz asked me if I wanted to go blueberry picking on a farm outside of Chassell, Michigan. At first I was hesitent, but remembered that I had only gone wild blueberry picking three times this season and my freezer still needed to be filled. I have always told myself that I would never pay for blueberries, but when I found out that it was only $2/ lb, I gave in and decided to go. Gierke's Blueberry Farm is ablsolutly beautiful. It's a self serve farm, which means you bring your own buckets, and obviously do your own picking. The blueberry bushes are a perfact height, so you don't have to bend over or stand on your tip toes to reach the berries. I picked 10lbs of berries, which filled three very large bowls. I have since made ten jars of jam, and plan on making a crisp tonight for my family.
I would really like to dehydrate some of the berries, but there were mixed reveiews online. A lot of people say that the berries become leathery, so I'm just going to freeze what I don't use. If anyone has dehydrated blueberries before, I would love some advice!
Hi Ellen,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through your postings, it occurred to me that you have all the ingredients for my all time breakfast favorite. These ingredients include blueberries, maple syrup, and an interest in cooking. If you’ve never dabbled in sourdough, you’re in for a treat-- a stack of blueberry-sourdough pancakes.
All you need to begin is a good sourdough starter. The Internet is full of excellent sources of information on sourdough, but the one publication that I started with many years ago was published by the University of Alaska Extension Service. The link for this now downloadable bulletin is http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00061.pdf. Note: even if sourdough doesn’t interest you, I’m sure you’ll find this site fascinating. I have a feeling, however, you’ll enjoy the challenge—and the rewards—of sourdough cooking.
While sourdough pancakes without blueberries are far better than anything that comes in a box, adding blueberries to the batter is like adding a blue sky to a fall day. I’ve found that frozen blueberries which have been thawed are the best because the juice will turn the batter a nice color. Like you, I generally have a surplus of blueberries most years. After restocking the shelves with jams and syrup, any leftover berries are frozen. I first freeze them on a cookie sheet and then vacuum seal them in quart bags.
Good luck!