Blueberries.......The Sequel

Spent Tuesday picking blueberries *BUT* this year we haven't had much rain, so as a result the berries are much smaller and not quite as sweet. In my personal opinion, any blueberry is better than no blueberry, and in that spirit I'm re-posting last July's entry on what to do with said blueberries once you get them home.

Perhaps this will summon the rain gods, and next week we'll be back picking those gigantic sweet berries.....



My life mantra: One can never, ever, eat too many blueberries....


Therefore, one must think of a way to preserve them, 'cause those canned blueberries don't cut it. Not even in January, when I'm desperate. Frozen berries are pricey, unless I buy the frozen wild blueberries, which are affordable, and 10 times as healthy as the cultivated blueberries, but the wild ones just don't taste the same.

Even as I speak, blueberries are on sale and very affordable in our area, so I loaded up on the little suckers, and decided to freeze enough for this winter. Or at least as many as I can fit in the freezer.

First: lay a sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap on a cookie sheet. Cover the pan with a single layer of the best berries (unwashed). Set the entire cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple hours.

It doesn't take the berries long to freeze, so multiple batches can be made in a single day. In my case, I froze a gallon's worth in a day. Did I mention I LOVE blueberries?

Note: When the berries come out of the freezer, they sound like marbles rolling around on the cookie sheet and are hard as rocks. It will very tempting for your children to use them as BB's or mini-balls. They will hurt if launched out of any sort of propelling device.

Probably best to keep them all for yourself, just for safety's sake.

***Note from July 2010: This winter I discovered that the frozen blueberries can be eaten like candy - they melt in your mouth literally. In fact, many never made it to any sort of cereal at all...