Blueberry harvest to begin

mainetoday ^ | 7/25/08 | Giselle Goodman

[mainestategop]

Summer is half over. Know why? Because Maine's blueberry harvest is underway.

And blueberry growers are expecting a pretty good crop this year.

University of Maine experts expect an average or slightly above average yield of 80 million to 100 million pounds of berries, thanks to adequate rain in May and June.

Blueberry specialist David Yarborough says the hot, humid, but largely dry first few weeks of July stressed crops to some degree. But he says recent showers are refreshing them.

Love to head out and pick the little blue bubbles of yummy, juicy goodness?

If you are in southern Maine, there are probably a number of pick-your-own stands. Next week the blueberry harvest should begin in the mid-coast area and the first week of August in the extensive blueberry barrens Down East.

DID YOU KNOW: Maine is the nation's top wild blueberry producer? Last year's harvest came in at 3 percent above the 2006 crop.

[mainestategop]

It looks like good news to me. I remember years ago we weren't doing so well. A small package of blueberries would cost about five bucks! YIKES! Maine's ag industry didn't fair very well due to all the taxes and regulations. A lot of farms just went under or moved out. I'm thinking of saddling up and heading east to machias where they have a blueberry festival and maybe do some pickins!

[SF Republican]

Wednesday we tried our first blueberrys, they needed a few more days. I really like summer harvest, can't wait until they are ready.

[woollyone]

My absolute favorite food on the planet!

on vanilla ice cream
in oatmeal
in pancakes
to nibble on at my desk (keyboard keys have lsight blue tint)
in a smoothie

[Kieri]

I picked about 2-1/2 quarts of organic blueberries yesterday. I had to work to find ripe ones but they were plump, sweet and made fantastic cobbler!

[BluH2o]

My wife returned early last week after spending a few days in Snowshoe, WV. She stopped by a pick your own blueberry farm and returned home with what seemed like a bushel of huge gorgeous blueberries. I kidded her that she should have left a few for the black bears, they need to bulk up for their winter hibernation.

[NautiNurse]

Blueberries this year have been fabulous. Big, plump, and oh so tasty! Yum!

[kidd]

I had two blueberry bushes at my last house.

It seems to me that bluberries are about the easiest food to grow. It thrives in acidic, rocky soil and has few problems with pests and disease. Only problem is keeping the birds away...which is easily accomplished with a net over the bush.

[Ildiko]

One of the wonderful things about blueberries is how healthy they are - chock-full of antioxidants, pretty low-calorie, and low on the glycemic index, too. They’re so good I would eat them even if they caused cancer in rats, but it’s nice to know I’m doing my body a favor when I eat a point in one sitting.

[hoagy62]

For three summers, I harvested those things. Spent all day, bent over in the hot sun, pulling them off the bushes with a blueberry rake(which looks like a cross between a dustpan and a fork fork and designed by a madman). That’s how honest-working kids (and some adults) make their money in the summertime.

I can’t eat blueberries anymore without thinking of that.

[Liberty Valance]

Blueberry Peach Cobbler



1 prepared pie crust sheet
2 (1 pound) bags frozen peaches, slightly thawed and coarsely chopped
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Sugar cubes, crushed for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll pastry to fit a 2-quart oval baking dish. In a large bowl, combine peaches and blueberries. Mix in flour, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and butter cubes. Pour into the baking dish and cover with pastry. Using a fork, cut off excess dough and create a decorative edge by pressing tines along edge of pan and pushing down. With a paring knife, cut 3 slices on top of the pastry to vent. Brush on egg wash and dust with sugar. Bake until golden brown on top and edges are bubbling, about 45 to 50 minutes.

[trillabodilla]

Most people who aren’t from Maine or haven’t been to Maine in the summer might not know that blueberry’s from Maine are smaller and sweeter than the ones we have here in the south.

Yummy, Maine blueberry pancakes!!!

[JRochelle]

The best way to eat blueberries is pour a little heavy cream on them, add a little sugar and some cinnamon.

Yum.

[TriGirl]

Here in Texas our season was over the end of June. Blueberries are our FAVORITE!!! The kids and I picked 17 lbs. in 45min one day there were so many. They ate almost half of that the first day and took two more days to eat the rest. Have you ever changed a 2 year olds diaper who has eaten 2lbs of blueberries??? Her butt was actually stained blue for days!

[woollyone]

welcome to FR!

joined up just for the blueberry thread eh?

cool!

[leda]

blueberry lemon jam ping :)

[Gabz]

Gardening PING!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Leda for the heads up!

We’ll head for blueberry picking in about 2 weeks. My friend and I take the kids about 2 weeks or so before school starts. We usually wind up with about 10 pounds of blueberries and 3 blue kids :)

[Gabz]

Her butt was actually stained blue for days!

I absolutely believe it!!!!!!!

[Gabz]

Yeah, yeah, yeah -— I know -— I gotta start cookin’!!!!!!!!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Ain't nothin' more purty in my opinon, 'cept a speckled hound pup! :)

Shall I place my order for Blueberry Basil Jam, or is it too early? ;)

[Gabz]

Blueberry Basil?