I'm crossing my fingers that the blueberry bushes in my friend Donna Leaf's Birmingham backyard will be as plentiful as they were last year. She and I like to make a day of it. We choose the big, juicy berries one by one, enjoying a little friendly competition with the birds. A few hours later, I head home with purple fingers and a basketful of gorgeous blueberries, and Donna gets a blueberry goody the very next day.
If you can't pick your own blueberries, check out a nearby farmer's market or your supermarket soon. You'll find the tastiest berries for the right price. Besides being delicious and super-healthy, blueberries require no peeling, coring, or cutting. Just wash and eat, or add to your favorite recipes.
Blueberry Basics
- Nutrition Facts: Per cup--Calories: 84; Fat: 0g; Sodium 0.5mg;
Carb: 19g; Fiber: 4.9g; Protein: 1.2g; Calcium: 12mg
- Blueberries are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin C.
They're loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants, called
anthocyanins, the pigment that gives them their deep-blue hue.
Blueberries rank as nature's number one source of antioxidants among
fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Blueberrries, like their cousin the cranberry, also contain
compounds that can prevent urinary tract infections.
- One quart of blueberries equals about 1 1/2 pounds.
- Blueberries are available year-round but are sweetest and least
expensive from May to September. Look for firm, plump, dark-blue
berries with a silvery bloom on the skin. This coating provides
natural protection.
- As soon as you get the berries home, pick through them, and discard
squishy ones. Don't wash until just before eating to avoid mushy
berries. Refrigerate them as quickly as possible; they'll keep up to
two weeks.
- Blueberries may change color when cooked. Avoid greenish streaking
in your pancakes by using hard, frozen berries. Increase cooking
time to ensure berries are heated thoroughly. Sprinkle berries on
top of the pancake batter after it's poured onto the griddle or
skillet. This technique gives pancakes a better appearance and makes
them easier to turn.
- To freeze fresh blueberries, arrange them (unwashed) in a single
layer on a jellyroll pan; freeze. Transfer frozen berries to a
labeled and dated heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Freeze up to one
year.
- For more blueberry information, visit the North American Blueberry
Council's Web site at www.webcom.com/bberry.
