The blueberries are out of control!
Okay, so I just started harvesting blueberries about 5 days ago. Between a gift from a relative, the blueberries I've already harvested, and what will obviously be ready in the next 24-48 hours ... we have too many blueberries! Especially since the kiddo is the only one allowed to eat them right now (and too many blueberries in one sitting does NOT make for pleasant diaper changes!!). So, I'm going to try my hand at canning. Check out this link: http://www.freshpreserving.com/pages/new_products/258.php.
Thanks to a coupon that I randomly clipped weeks ago, and then walking past an aisle display at the home improvement store that had a pile of these, I decided to make an impulse buy and try it out. I probably won't get to it until later in the week, but I'll keep ya posted on how it goes. In the meantime, I have 3 bags of blueberries already frozen and many more to come. Guess I better not wait too long, eh?
What are some of your family's favorite ways to use blueberries? I plan to make some jam, as well as just can some by themselves. But I'm wondering if there are other creative ideas out there that I could "borrow" from my friends. Please share whatever ideas you have!
My two cents: I add blueberries to a lot of things because we buy them frozen from Costco. I add them frozen to oatmeal to cool it down and add nutritional value, I add them to Betty Crocker's banana bread recipe (which is amazing!!!) Even though you can't eat the banana bread you could make some to freeze or give away. I would love to have a loaf of frozen banana bread handy in case we have a playdate or something last minute but I am just not that on top of it. Ems eats them frozen too. I also add them to pancakes. Nothing too earth shattering original but some ideas. Blueberry jam would be yummy I imagine!!
ReplyDeleteThat all sounds yummy, Patii! Someone else gave me an idea for blueberry-lemon bars, which sounds divine! And I found a recipe in my canning kit today for blueberry syrup. I am totally making that, cuz Mattie will be over the moon if that is on top of her pancakes! :-)
ReplyDeleteMy main tip would be freezing, but I see you're already doing that. :)
ReplyDeleteI mostly use them in Aunt Mary's Blueberry Buckle recipe (coffee cake), & Tony puts them in smoothies.
I never would've thought about canning... I guess cuz that's not one of the things Mom canned? Good luck! ;)
Ahhh, Aunt Mary's Blueberry Buckle. Yum. My friend Vickie was nice enough to share her lemon-blueberry squares recipe, so I shall be bringing that to the family get-together this weekend (even though I can't eat it)!
ReplyDeleteI also throw them into oatmeal and oat bran cereal, or thaw a few and put them on top of a waffle with warmed syrup -- the kids love it that way. I also throw a few into apple pies or any kind of fruit baked thing (crisps, cobblers) if it sounds good. We made a fresh peach crisp the other day and put some blueberries into it and it was super good.
ReplyDeleteMy kiddo does love blueberry oatmeal. I just always forget I can add the fresh ones straight in. I still have a bunch to use up, so I'll have to try that. I love cobblers too. Unfortunately, they're not on the menu for us these days, while we're losing weight. :) Someday soon, though!
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