Blueberries

Last weekend I went blueberry picking for the first time in my life!  Beck Brother's Blueberries a beautiful 17 acre farm in Windemere is strangely located in the middle of a suburban neighborhood but I imagine they were there first.  The farm was clean and well maintained with rows and rows of mature blueberry bushes bursting with fruit.  At first glance, it looked like we arrived at a busy time, but once we got into the fields, it felt like we were the only ones out there.

 Each carrying a bucket and surrounded by so many ripe berries, it was easy to get carried away and just keep picking.  We ended up leaving with two large buckets full, about 2 gallons of blueberries!

I did have plans to make some blueberry jam, but seeing how many I had actually picked, I knew I needed to have some other ideas on how to use them.   Here are some of my old and new favorites we have made this week in addition to eating them by the handfuls.

Blueberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Blueberry Jam

Blueberry Salsa

Source: epicureanmom.com via Kelley on Pinterest

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Source: foodnetwork.com via Kelley on Pinterest

Blueberry Muffins 
Blueberry Pie
Blueberry Waffles

 (I feel like the guy in Forrest Gump who talks about all the ways you can eat shrimp.)

Luckily I have a willing group of coworkers who help me eat it all!   Next week I plan to make some of these fruit bars too.  

After that I am taking a break and will enjoy the frozen ones along the way.

It has been quite a week of canning, baking, freezing eating and sharing blueberries!