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July is National Blueberry Month so now’s the perfect time to share recipes with fresh blueberries! After picking almost 8 lbs. of blueberries at a local farm this spring, I enjoyed my blueberries with these 6 easy recipes.
Blueberries are low in calories, high in nutrients, and an awesome antioxidant. Learn more about the health benefits of blueberries on WebMd. I do my best to eat them at least once a day.
How to Freeze Blueberries
If you’re looking for simple recipes with fresh blueberries, I have rounded up some easy ones. And yes, I’ve tried all of these! But before venturing into the yummy, fresh blueberry recipe, I’m offering a tip about freezing your blueberries.
- For best results, rinse them off and pat dry.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread out the blueberries on top of the parchment paper. Try to separate and keep them from touching.
- Place in your freezer until frozen solid. I usually leave them in overnight so they get a good freeze.
- Once they are frozen, package them up in a freezer-proof plastic bag and store in the freezer until ready to use.
- If you don’t freeze the blueberries individually and toss them in a bag together, you’ll end up with a big molecular-looking blob!
Eat Them as Is or with a Little Honey and Lime Zest
If you’re a purist, the easiest thing to do with your u-pick blueberries is to simply eat them. Or, put them in a bowl with cream and a little bit of sugar and savor the silky, creamy, and sweet flavor. Or, cut up other fresh fruit and add blueberries then top with a bit of honey and lime zest (or lime essential oil if you don’t have fresh limes on hand) for a refreshing and healthy dish perfect for hot summer days. Being a diabetic, this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy blueberries and fresh fruit.
Low-Sugar Blueberry Crisp
As I’m growing older, I’m watching what I eat and this low-sugar blueberry crisp recipe is a sweet and tasty dessert for those watching their sugar intake. Plus, this is an easy recipe.
Filling
2 Cups Blueberries
1 Tbsp. Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp. Stevia
1 tsp. Cornstarch
Topping
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats, Slow-Cooking
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Butter, Melted
How to Make Low-Sugar Blueberry Crisp
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Filling:
Combine blueberries, coconut flour, stevia, and cornstarch in a bowl.
Place in an 8″ cast iron skillet (or 9×9 baking dish).
Topping:
In the bowl you used for the filling, combine all the topping ingredients.
Sprinkle the topping atop the blueberry filling.
Bake for about 45 minutes when topping is a golden brown and the blueberry filling is bubbling.
Blueberry Jam
Every year I can. Making blueberry jam was at the top of my list this year. In addition to blueberry jam, I typically make mango chutney each summer. Canning allows me to enjoy seasonal flavors throughout the year. Plus, something homemade makes a nice, consumable gift, especially if I need a last minute hostess gift.
I don’t have a secret blueberry jam recipe but I prefer using one with liquid pectic vs. powdered like this blueberry jam recipe. As to what I do with my jam, in addition to giving it away as gifts, I sometimes use it in cooking sweet and savory sauces for meat dishes, top on homemade French toast (I used this easy recipe on Chef Randal White’s blog to make the bread I used for the French toast pictured above), and making good old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
No-Churn Ice Cream – But Don’t Make the Mistake I Made
“You scream. I scream. We all scream for ICE CREAM!” I LOVE ice cream and thought blueberry ice cream would be delicious! But, I do not have a working ice cream maker and after trying and failing at making ice cream in a plastic bag, I needed a really easy recipe.
I found this easy, no-churn vanilla ice cream recipe on the Food Network website. And yes, it is easy. But my quandary was, how do I incorporate blueberries into this deliciously sweet homemade ice cream?
I attempted to mash my blueberries before folding it into the partially-frozen no-churn vanilla ice cream but I did not do a decent job. The unmashed blueberries (which was most of them) froze and turned into little cannon balls! The secret is to mash the blueberries very well before folding into the mixture. Or, use some of the blueberry jam you made.
Breakfast Smoothie!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so power up with a blueberry smoothie. I drink this at least four times a week and never get sick of it! And, I use my Nutribullet and still love it after more than five years of blended bliss! The framework of this recipe is something my nutritionist gave me several years ago.
Ingredients:
Handful of Fresh Spinach
3/4 Cup of Frozen Blueberries (see below on how to freeze your blueberries)
1/4 Cup Old Fashioned Oats, Slow-Cooking
1/4 Cup Protein Powder (sub 1/4 Cup plain, low fat Greek yogurt)
1 Cup of Sugar-Free, Vanilla Almond Milk
Directions:
Place spinach in Nutribullet (or blender) followed by frozen blueberries, oatmeal, protein powder and finally, the vanilla almond milk. Blend in the Nutribullet until everything is smoothly combined.
Drink and enjoy!
Cocktail Recipe: Blueberry Rum Smash.
Now, here is the adult portion of this post, the Blueberry Rum Smash. This sweet cocktail is perfect for sipping and enjoying hot summer evenings. Here’s my recipe for a Blueberry Rum Smash.
Ingredients
Handful of fresh blueberries.
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
3 oz. Spiced Rum
Ginger Ale or Ginger Beer
Instructions
Muddle blueberries in the bottom of a highball. You can do this with the back of a spoon.
Add the brown sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the Spiced Rum.
Top with Ginger.
Stir and enjoy!
Sure, this post is missing blueberry muffin, blueberry coffee cake, and blueberry pancake recipes but you can find those online or in a cookbook, like The Blueberry Cookbook: Year-Round Recipes from Field to Table. One thing.s for sure, no matter how you choose to enjoy your U-pick blueberry harvest, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor.
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