They still cost almost five quid for a modestly sized (by my capacity) punnet, but there is a ray of sunlight on the horizon. Blueberry time is coming!
Blueberry, the fat round purple (not blue!) soft fruit have gained popularity in the UK relatively recently. Britain native purplies are bilberries, wild fruit growing in the western heathlands of British Isles. But as with other forageables, they are not widely known. They also grow abundantly across Northern Europe: as a child in Poland, I’d go bilberry picking until my mouth and teeth turned deep purple.
Cultivated blueberries, twice the size, none of the flavour of the wild, were imported to the UK from North America, where they have been picked and eaten wild for centuries. In Britain they started trending only in the 90s, but now threaten to surpass strawberries. No topping or hulling, they keep and travel well and there’s hardly ever a bad one – what’s not to love?
And there is nothing: even though I’d ditch them for the wild bilberries of my yesteryears in a heartbeat, blueberries are my all time favourite soft fruit, not least because of so many things you can do with them, recipe wise. Raspberries go mushy, strawberries go grey but blueberries are firm and purple jewels in any cake.
Fold them straight in the cake batter in mascarpone and blueberry or blueberry almond lemon cakes. Use them in fillings of an impressive gateau: blueberry and cream sponge or genoise with mascarpone. They are the dream ingredient in muffins and cupcakes.
They make outstanding jam. Use them in cookies or tarts. For breakfast, try blueberry parfait or summer berries and oats bowl. And last but not least, they work surprisingly well as sauces for meats: check out blueberry duck and pork loin in blueberry sauce.
Try at least one of those suggestions: blueberries won’t let you down. And subscribe to the weekly newsletter with new recipes. Have a berry good week!