It's Blueberry Season!

Blueberries are one of God's most amazing food-gifts. They're a great source of vitamin C (especially when eaten uncooked), manganese, and fiber; have high levels of antioxidants; and are only about 81 calories per cup. They are also low on the glycemic index, making them a terrific choice for those with blood sugar issues.

Now is a great time to buy blueberries at the grocery store, farmer's market, or a pick-your-own farm. Or, head out to a nursery and buy some blueberry plants. They are easy to grow (even in large pots) and make decorative, practical shrubs. You won't get many blueberries the first year, but by their second or third year, with each bush you'll get enough to regularly feed one person. And there's nothing quite so lovely as heading out into the garden each morning for a handful of berries after breakfast. Just ask my kids.

When buying blueberries, make sure they are deep blue or almost black. They should look waxy. If you don't wash them until you eat them, the berries will last a couple of weeks in the fridge in an air tight container.

Blueberries are easy to preserve, too. To freeze blueberries, arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer and slide the sheet in the freezer. When the berries are hard, after about a half hour, slip them into airtight freezer containers.

Or, you can blueberries. Once you wash and sort the berries, add 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice (fresh squeezed lemon juice may not have adequate levels of acid to make the recipe safe) to every quart jar, or 1 tablespoon to every pint jar. Fill each jar with blueberries, leaving about a half inch of head space. Next, make the sugar water. For a super-light syrup, mix 7 cups water with 1/4 cup sugar. For a light syrup, use 7 cups water and 1 cup sugar. For a sweeter syrup, use 6 cups water and 3 cups sugar. Stir the sugar and water together over low heat, until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the syrup over the blueberries in each jar, being sure to retain 1/2 inch head space. Process pint jars for 15 minutes and quart jars for 20 minutes in a boiling bath canner.* Our family mostly eats blueberries uncooked. The kids eat them by the handful for snacks or dessert. We sometimes also put them in pancakes or in cereal. When we want a sweet treat, this blueberry cobbler is both easy and delicious: Combine 4 cups blueberries with 1 teaspoon lemon juice in a 9 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine 1 cup pancake mix and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg. Make a well in the center and put 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 2 eggs in it. Mix until just moist. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto blueberry mixture, forming dumplings. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle over dumplings. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 35 minutes, or until topping is thoroughly cooked. * NOTE: If you live at a high altitude, read this important information about adjusting canning times.

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