Blueberries Are Ripe!

A #10 Pail of Blueberries in July

It was 98 degrees in the shade today and I went off blueberry picking with the neighbors. The berries are just coming into season and are big and plump. There are many blueberry farms in Olympia, Washington because of the low lying area and proximity to Puget Sound. In the winter the farms flood then dry out this time of year. Today we visited the Gile Blueberry Farm on Gull Harbor Road. The Gilee's are really friendly, supply the pails and even have a porta potty out in the fields for emergencies.


We each took a #10 can that had holes in it and wire coat hangers bent into a hook. The hook hangs off the waist of your pants and it an excellent pail to pick berries with. I picked only one pail today due to the heat. The berries were $1 a pound and I picked 4 1/2 pounds of berries for a total of $4.50. Have you found a better deal this summer? Let me know if you have.

Mom Picking Blueberries....Come on Smile!

I plan on going out picking a few more times this season probably during the evening when it cools down a bit. My mother likes to go picking. I bring along a folding chair and plant her by some full bushes. She likes blueberries on her cereal in the morning or mixed with cut up cantalope for a refreshing sumertime dessert.

I like to freeze blueberries for blueberry muffins. My favorite recipe comes from the old Jordan Marsh department store that used to be in Peabody, Massachusetts. Those muffins were huge and had some sugar sprinkled on top to make a crunchy top. It wasn't a trip to the shopping center without bringing home some muffins for breakfast the next day. I will look up the recipe and post it. It is a winner for sure!


My neighbor and I plan on making blueberry jam this year. She is just learning to can and is having fun looking up recipes on the internet. Last year I canned pears mixed with blueberries and they were a great combination.


Canned Pears and Blueberries and Pears

Let me know what you like to do with blueberries and if you have any suggestions.

What are they charging for blueberries in your supermarket thisor Farmer's Market this summer?