Growers Hunt for New Uses To Head Off Blueberry Glut

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ^ | April 23, 2003 | BARBARA CARTON

[Carpet Kitten]

At the University of Maine, food science professor Al Bushway is three years into a study, partly funded by the blueberry industry, to see whether mixing wild blueberry puree into precooked burgers will prevent the off-taste of reheated meat.

Roughly 500 test hamburgers and chickenburgers later, there's hope, he reports -- so long as blueberries are kept to less than 3% of the ingredients. "We went up to 7%," Dr. Bushway says, "but you got a color effect that people may not want to see." By that he means bluish chicken.

[carlo3b]

Or this great recipe...

WILD BLUEBERRY CRÊME BRÛLÉE

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon or orange liqueur
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
Topping:
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1) Whisk together sugar, egg yolks, eggs, liqueur and grated lemon rind; whisk in milk and cream. Strain into pitcher.
2) Pour into six 1-cup ramekins or custard cups. Sprinkle with blueberries.
3) Place in large shallow roasting pan; pour in enough hot water to come halfway up ramekins (small straight sided cup).
4) Bake in center of oven for about 35 minutes or until edges are set but centres still slightly jiggly. Let cool.
NOTE: You can make ahead: Cover and refrigerate
Topping: Just before serving, sprinkle sifted brown sugar over top
Place on baking sheets; broil just until sugar melts and turns caramel color.
(OR...TA DA....caramelize sugar with BLOWTORCH).
Serves 6

[Maven]

Are blueberries considered berries in the Atkins diet?

Yep - in small amounts. A quarter-cup of fresh blueberries has a net count of a little over 4 carbs.

Maven

[carlo3b]

(if you visit my house, don't leave your car unlock or you'll find a carton of eggs on the seat when you go to leave)....

LOLOLOL... I had a similar experience with cucumbers...

[firebrand]

May I suggest every vegetable known to man with Hollandaise sauce.

[kidd]

I had two blueberry bushes at my last house. They are the easiest thing to grow. I never had to use insecticide. I used pine needles as mulch. I never had a problem with deer, but if I didn't put netting over the bushes when the fruit began to appear then the birds would strip it clean in no time.

[dfwgator]

George Carlin would be happy, there's finally some blue food.