Blueberry Summer

This summer we discovered a very fun activity in our own backyard. One lovely day we decided to go berry picking at a local farm and store. Friends had been raving about how many pounds of blueberries they picked, and we were looking for something to do outside… We gathered our plastic containers and straw hats and headed to one of our favorite stops in summer and fall – Rulfs Orchard.

a very cool truck at the orchard

the rows of high bush blueberries

Just a few of the lovelies we brought home with us. On a few of the days we picked you could just place your hand under the branches and tickle them to get dozens of large blueberries to fall into your waiting palm!

we rinsed them all and then laid them out to dry in preparation for freezing

The above photo shows about five pounds worth of berries drying or waiting to be laid out to dry. We froze the majority of the berries we picked… They will be so wonderful in the dead of winter! In order to keep them from becoming one big mass of blueberry in the freezer, however – we dried them carefully, then spread them on cookie sheets and froze them singly. Once frozen we poured them into bags like little blue marbles waiting for our winter baking projects.

The berries on trays in the freezer. Of course we left a few pounds out in the fridge for immediate use! It’s amazing how much longer they keep than the blueberries bought at the store. I feel like a bear every time I grab a handful for a snack!

If you decide to go pick your own: http://www.rulfsorchard.com/

And here is some musical inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek1P7GM33so