We’ve moved from strawberry season into blueberry season here in the Northeast. There are so many amazing things you can do with blueberries, the list is endless! We’ve narrowed it down to these six recipes — they’re easy to make and a little off the beaten path. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Freeze For Later
This isn’t a recipe per se, but a reminder to prep and store some of your berries until you need a bright burst of summer, say, in the middle of January. Simply rinse your berries, towel them dry, and spread in a single layer onto a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet in your freezer for at least 4 hours or up to a day. Transfer the now-frozen berries into a Ziploc baggie, label with the date, and put back into the freezer for another day. They’ll taste fresher than any storebought frozen berries!
Blueberry BBQ Sauce
There are so many recipes for blueberry BBQ sauce out there. From the Food Network, try Michael Symon’s recipe that pairs blueberries with balsamic vinegar. Or check out the Sea Dog Brewing Company’s recipe that pairs fresh blueberries with blueberry wheat ale. Or try this recipe with Pinot Noir. There’s a delicious blueberry BBQ sauce out there for everyone!
Famous Jordan Marsh’s Blueberry Muffins
If you’re from the Northeast, you’ve probably heard about the Jordan Marsh department store blueberry muffins that were popular for years, until the department store went out of business in the ’90s. This claims to be the original recipe, and is delightful. And if you don’t want to try these at home, you can still buy them for a few weeks a year during the holiday season at the Jordan’s Furniture in Avon, MA.
Wild Rice Summer Crunch Salad
I love any salad that incorporates fruit in the summer, and this one is no exception. Wild rice mixed with blueberries provide great texture with a hint of sweetness. I omit the nuts and add avocado in place of the blue cheese, but customize it for yourself!
Blueberry Buckle
While I love blueberry pie, sometimes I need something more cake-like instead. Alton Brown’s blueberry buckle recipe gets the job done. Quick and easy, you’ll be eating this for breakfast or lunch or dessert, or really anytime the mood (and the blueberries) strike you.
Blueberry Drinks
I couldn’t quite narrow it down to one recipe, so here are three blueberry-licious drinks to try. For adults, check out this recipe for fresh blueberry margaritas. This is best made with really ripe, bursting-with-flavor blueberries. For the kids in your life, try blueberry and mint lemonade. Or check out this blueberry soda. All three recipes call for straining the juice before drinking it, so make sure you have a fine mesh strainer on hand or a lot of cheesecloth before starting the juicing process.
