The Hunt for the Wild

If you like blueberries, the best flavor comes from the bushes you find out in the wild. Although cultivated varieties may be big, beautiful and plump, the flavor from the native bushes can be more intense. Unlike a lot of fruit, blueberries’ sweetness does not improve after they are picked from the bush. So when you are selecting your berries, look for the mature, dark-skinned, almost glossy-toned fruit. Once blueberries turn color, it can take a week or two for the fruit to fully mature to peak flavor. So use this color code to help you find the best-tasting ones, even if you pick cultivated varieties at a blueberry farm.

What to do when you bring home the buckets? If you plan on freezing them, de-stem and wash them soon after picking. Put them right into a well-sealed container or bag and use them throughout the year for your winter cobblers. In the meantime, think about blueberry pancakes, muffins, crumble, pies, jam and don’t forget tarts.

If you live in any of the towns with these recent boil alerts, make sure you use sterilized water to clean your fruit. To end our inspirational thought for the weekend, let’s use a Stephen Wright quote to keep the water issue light. “I bought some instant water one time but I didn't know what to add to it.”

Image of blueberry tart from the Internet