LITTLE ROCK — A truly American way to celebrate Independence Day on Sunday is to forget the grill and the burgers or hot dogs - and reach for the blueberries.
Also called star berries because of the star-shaped calyx on their blossom ends, blueberries are one of only a handful of fruits indigenous to North America. They were already being enjoyed year-round by the American Indians when the first Europeans arrived. Dried whole in the sun or ground into a powder, they were used by Indians in a variety of ways including soups, rubs for meat and puddings, according to the US Highbush Blueberry Council.
Blueberries are also believed to have been part of the original Thanksgiving dinner, although those berries weren’t the big, juicy, sweet and plump ones we’re familiar with today.
Today’s commercially cultivated berries are the results of Frederick Coville and Elizabeth White’s work in the early 20th century in New Jersey. The pair crossbred several varieties of wild blueberries to create easy-to-pick berries that grow well in a range of conditions.
While hundreds of varieties exist, most consumers will only encounter three:
Northern highbush blueberries, the most common kind available in supermarkets
Southern rabbiteye, a relative of the Northern highbush, which thrives in the South and gets its name from its rabbit-eye shaped calyx.
Lowbush, also called wild blueberries, which are hardy and grow throughout Maine and eastern Canada. The plants, though cared for and harvested by farmers, are not planted in a traditional sense, but spread through underground runners. They grow 1 to 2 feet high and produce smaller, sweet-tangy fruit. Fresh wild blueberries are rarely, if ever, available this far south, but most supermarkets carry frozen wild blueberries.
Robert Frost captured blueberries’ alluring color when he wrote: “The blue’s but a mist from the breath of the wind.”
The berries get their intense color (and staining tendencies) from a high content of anthocyanin, a pigment found in flowers and plants.
Anthocyanin can be red, blue or purple depending on the acidity of the food. In the case of blueberries, although the berry is blue, when the anthocyanin is extracted from the fruit, it turns red.
That white to gray dusty-looking coating present on many berries is called the bloom, which acts as a natural suncreen. It is harmless to eat, but can usually be washed off with water.
Classic partners for blueberries include lemon, banana, cream, oats, nutmeg and cinnamon; maple syrup, ginger and mascarpone also make outstanding partners. Other complementary flavors are orange, peach, cantaloupe, mango, honey and sour cream.
This cobbler combines peaches and blueberries with just a hint of ginger.
Gingered Blueberry-Peach Cobbler 1 pound sliced fresh or frozen peaches 1 pint fresh blueberries 1 /2 cup PLUS 1 /3 cup granulated sugar,
divided use 1 /4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or to
taste 1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped
crystallized ginger 1 1 /2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small
pieces 1 cup baking mix such as Bisquick 1 /4 cup very soft butter 1 /2 cup milk
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a very large bowl, toss together the peaches, blueberries, 1 /2 cup of the sugar, the cinnamon, crystallized ginger and cornstarch. Transfer to a 9-by-11-inch baking dish. Dot with 1 tablespoon cold butter.
In a medium bowl, mix together remaining 1 /3 cup sugar and baking mix, then beat in softened butter and milk.
Spoon over fruit.
Place baking dish on a cookie sheet (to catch drips) and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
Fresh Summer Berry Tarts 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese,
softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 /2 cup confectioners’ sugar 30 prebaked miniature tart shells (see
note) About 2 cups fresh berries such as
blueberries and raspberries
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
Spread the filling evenly into each tart shell and top with berries.
Makes about 30 miniature tarts, or about 10 servings.
Note: If using frozen tart shells,thaw and bake according to package instructions.
Blueberry-Banana Bread Butter or oil for coating pan 1 1 /2 cups all-purpose flour (see note) 1 /2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats 1 /4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 /2 cup blueberries 1 cup granulated sugar OR 3 /4 cup
agave syrup (see note) 1 /2 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with oil, then line bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, salt and baking soda and mix well. Toss blueberries with about 1 tablespoon of flour-oat mixture; set both aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar (or agave syrup) and shortening and beat on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions.
Scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, mixing just until blended. Foldin blueberries and bananas.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 65 to 75 minutes or until golden brown and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert pan to remove loaf and cool loaf completely.
Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf.
Note: Use an additional 1 /4 cup all purpose flour if using agave syrup.
Variation: Gingered Blueberry-Banana Bread, fold in 2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger with the blueberries.
Recipe adapted from Melissa’s Everyday Cooking With Organic Produce by Cathy Thomas Blueberry Cheesecake Blondies 1 1 /2 cups all-purpose flour Pinch ground cinnamon 1 /2 cup granulated sugar 6 ounces cream cheese, at room
temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg yolk 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 batch Fresh Blueberry Jam (recipe
follows)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray or with butter and flour.
In a bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon and sugar. Beat in cream cheese and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg yolk, mixing until combined; set aside.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and white chocolate chips together, stirring constantly, until smooth.
Stir melted mixture into cream cheese mixture and mix well.
Transfer to prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Spread blueberry jam over batter.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown and center is set.
Make about 12 blondies.
Recipe adapted from The Good Stuff Cookbook by Spike Mendelsohn Fresh Blueberry Jam 1 cup blueberries 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or to
taste 1 /2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or to
taste
Mash berries, using the back of a spoon or mortar and pestle until coarsely mashed. Add sugar and lemon juice and mix well, taste and adjust sugar and lemon juice as necessary.
Transfer to an airtight container. Will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 2 to 3 months.
Makes about 3 /4 cup.
Recipe from Foods of the Americas: Native Recipes and Traditions by Fernando and Marlene Divina and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
Food, Pages 34 on 06/30/2010