It’s time to stock up on blueberries

Beautiful boxes of Bennett Orchards' plump Duke blueberries are available at this week's farmers markets. Fifer Orchards is advertising U-pick opportunities for Earliblue, Bluecrop and Jersey varieties. Clamshell boxes of California-based Driscoll berries are crowding your grocers' produce bins. It's the beginning of blueberry season.

Why are blueberries blue? Actually, they have deep indigo or purple-colored skins with tannish, juicy flesh beneath. The skins' bright color is from a water-soluble pigment called anthocyanin that can range from blue to dark red. The darker the blueberry, the more antioxidant-loaded pigments you'll find.

Scientific research has shown that humans (and many animals) are attracted to colored foods. Our ancestors learned that the rich colors were typically a signal that the fruit or berry was sweet and ripe. Birds help propagate the plant species by spreading fruit seeds that grow into the next year's crop.

For blueberries to thrive, they need very specific soil conditions: acidic, moist and rich in organic matter or humus. Our well-drained coastal soils can be easily amended to encourage blueberry production, and there enough different varieties of blueberries that you can find the right type for almost any climate.

A critical key to success is to plant more than one cultivar. By combining several with staggered maturity dates, you can lengthen the season and take advantage of cross-pollination. Which is why the best growers in our region list as many as five different types available in their orchards.

Because we live near the edge of the state park, we've never tried to grow fruit or vegetables in our backyard. It's difficult enough to keep the deer away from the lilies by our front door and hostas under the back stairs. We're delighted when June and July provide the opportunity to stock up on blueberries.

For all the interest in blueberries' fresh, sweet flavor and juicy texture when they're just picked, it's also possible to preserve most of those qualities far into the winter months. First, don't wash your berries until you're ready to eat them. Look closely and you'll see a fine white powdery coating called must, which protects them from drying out.

Use the firmest, unblemished beauties as garnish in your glass of Prosecco, scattered over your breakfast cereal or as the key ingredient in fruit shortcake. Discard any that are wizened or puckered; they'll be dry and tasteless. If you have some that have become smushed in a crowded container, use them in one of the recipes below.

The smoothie can be altered to include other fruits, omit the protein powder or substitute another type of milk. I've used this on my morning cereal instead of plain milk for an added boost of nutrition as well as flavor. Both the blueberry crisp and delicate galette don't mind messy berries, as they cook down into a moist filling.

Now, for the rest of the pretty berries you can't eat right away: arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Place the pan in the freezer for about an hour, then transfer the frozen berries to a zip-top bag; they'll keep in your freezer for several months.

To use them in baked dishes, there's no need to thaw them, just rinse and drain, and you're set. Toss them still frozen into a smoothie, muffin or pancake batter, or a simmering pot of oatmeal. Now we'll have blueberry season all year long.

Blueberry Smoothie
1 C blueberries
1 frozen banana
2 T protein powder
1/3 C vanilla yogurt*
1 C almond milk

Rinse and drain blueberries; discard any that are mushy. Peel banana and place in a blender along with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth and creamy. *Note: substitute silken tofu, if preferred. Yield: 2 servings.

Blueberry Crisp
2 C blueberries
2 T sugar
1/2 C flour
1 C rolled oats
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the bottom of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Rinse and drain blueberries. Place in a bowl and gently toss with 2 T sugar; set aside. Combine flour, rolled oats and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Slice butter into chunks and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Press half of crumble mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover evenly with sugared berries. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture on top. Bake until berries are bubbly and topping is golden, about 35 minutes. Yield: 4 servings.

Blueberry Galettes
1 3/4 C flour
1/4 C cornmeal
1 T sugar
1 t salt
12 T chilled butter
1/4 C ice water
3 C blueberries
1/2 C sugar
2 T flour
juice & zest of 1 lemon
2 t melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Place the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse once or twice to combine. Slice butter into chunks and add to food processor. Pulse until dough forms into pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle with ice water and pulse to form clumps. Remove dough to a flat surface and knead gently to form a ball. Divide dough into 4 pieces and place each in a zip-top bag. Flatten dough to form disks and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain blueberries. Combine berries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and zest in a mixing bowl; toss gently to combine. Roll dough into 8-inch circles and place on prepared baking sheet. Spread berry filling in the center of each disk, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold in edges to slightly cover outer berries. Brush crust with melted butter. Bake until bubbly and golden, about 35 minutes. Yield: 4 galettes.

Send questions, comments and recipe suggestions to capeflavors@comcast.net.