Blueberry Love

Blueberry picking is one of summer’s simple pleasures and, for my family, it’s a cherished tradition. Come the summer solstice, I check our local orchard’s Facebook page, looking for the magic words: “Blueberry fields are open!” That’s the signal to pack hats, water, and sunscreen and drive my two daughters to the orchard.

In the field, the sight of the plump, purple berries makes my heart leap: we waited all year for this! One by one, we pluck the precious jewels from the short, thornless bushes, then drop them into our small baskets until they threaten to spill. While I do most of the picking, my four-year-old runs her fingers through the leaves, looking for the plumpest, sweetest fruits; she gobbles them on the spot. Every year, we gather about 5 pounds of berries, enough to spare us from tough decisions: shall we make muffins, or eat them by the handful? We usually do both.

Over the years, I’ve grown fonder of the humble fruit. While I long for fragrant, ripe peaches, I’ve learned to appreciate the blueberry’s unsung qualities. While most summer fruits have a fleeting season (I’m looking at you, sour cherries), local blueberries ripen from mid-June to mid-August in Delmarva’s orchards. Next, they keep really well. While raspberries require immediate attention, blueberries will keep up to 10 days in the fridge. Don’t rush from the pool to make pie tonight, your bounty will wait until tomorrow.

In the kitchen, different pairings reveal different sides of its personality. Vanilla highlights its good nature, while lemon and ginger bring a more playful, zesty side forward. A dash of cinnamon adds a bit of intrigue.

Kind to children, easy-going, and dependable: blueberries have all the qualities of a good friend or better, a lifelong partner.

To find the blueberry orchard closest to you, check out PickYourOwn.org. For the largest berries, hit the fields a day or two after a rainfall.