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Feature Articles: Cooking and Produce Make the Most of Missouri BlueberriesSusan Mills-Gray, Nutrition Specialist, Cass
County, |
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Blueberries contain cancer-fighting antioxidants and may play a
role in reducing your risk for heart disease. Here are some tips
for making the most of your blueberries.
If you are picking or purchasing fresh blueberries, you
should know:
- Blueberries, even those on the same bush, do not all
ripen at the same time. Under normal growing conditions,
blueberries ripen over a period of three to four weeks.
- Blueberries are ready for harvest no sooner than three
to four days after the fruit becomes fully blue. Blueberries
can remain on the plant for seven to 10 days after they have
become ripe without significant loss in quality. However,
they will not continue to ripen after being picked.
- Ripe blueberries should have a completely uniform blue
color. Fruit with a red tinge is less mature and will not be
as sweet as more mature berries.
- For best results, blueberries should be harvested
carefully when they are dry and fully ripe. It is best to
wait a few hours after a rain or heavy dew before
harvesting. Wet berries are more susceptible to
decay-causing organisms and often leak juice, causing them
to resemble overripe berries.
- Ripe blueberries are easily removed from the bush. Fruit
should be removed with the thumb and forefinger, keeping the
hand cupped under the berry to avoid dropping it. A whitish,
dusty appearance (bloom) on the blueberry is desirable.
- Harvested blueberries should never be allowed to remain in the sun because the dark berries absorb heat easily.
Handling blueberries
Blueberries are not as perishable as most other berries. While
other berries keep their quality for a day or two after
purchase, blueberries will keep for about a week if they are
handled properly. Use care in working with blueberries, as they
bruise easily. Put blueberries in a plastic container and
refrigerate them as soon as possible. Do not wash blueberries
until you are ready to use them – the added moisture will hasten
the growth of mold.
Freezing blueberries
Only ripe, full-flavored blueberries should be frozen.
Washing blueberries before freezing can result in a
tough-skinned product. Instead, wash them after thawing. If you
must wash blueberries before freezing, sort the berries and wash
them quickly in cool water. After washing, spread the berries in
a single layer on a metal tray. Allow the berries to dry so they
won’t stick together, then freeze them until solid. Finally,
pack the berries in freezer containers and label. Blueberries
may be frozen alone in containers or covered with cold, 40
percent sugar syrup (3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water).
Blueberries can also be pureed before freezing. Wash the
blueberries before pureeing them in a blender or food processor.
Mix 1 cup sugar into each quart of pureed berries. Stir until
the sugar is dissolved and pack into containers, leaving 1-inch
of space at the top of each container.
Canning blueberries
Berries may be canned in water, juice or syrup. Heat about 1
gallon of water to boiling for each pound of berries. Blanch
berries in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain. Place ½ cup hot
syrup, juice or water into each warmed jar. Pack hot berries
into hot jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Cover with lids and
process in a boiling water bath canner (15 minutes for pints and
20 minutes for quarts).
Dehydrating blueberries
Drying blueberries produces a fair product – the berries
become leathery and pliable, but retain little flavor.
Blueberries do not make good fruit leathers, unless they are
used in combination with other fruits. Wash and drain
blueberries before plunging them into boiling water for 20
seconds. Put berries into cold water immediately to stop
cooking. Drain well and spread out to dry. It will take 24 to 36
hours for the berries to dry.
Enjoy these recipes:
Berry syrup
Yield: 2 cups
1 1/4 cups blueberry juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil
and boil 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and skim off foam. Use
syrup immediately or refrigerate to use later.
To can for later use:
Pour syrup into hot half-pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace.
Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.
Frozen blueberry pie filling
Yield: 5 pints
12 cups blueberries
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice
Wash and drain blueberries. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir blueberries into sugar mixture and let stand until juice begins to flow from the berries, about 30 minutes. Add lemon peel and juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. Ladle filling into freezer containers or bags, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Cool to room temperature for 2 hours before freezing.
Last update: Monday, August 07, 2006
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