Blueberries in season at farmer’s market

EMILY GOJMERAC

REPORTER

Who doesn’t love blueberries? They are very versatile in their uses and are the perfect summer treat for people of all ages.

Blueberries produce fruit from mid July until mid August. They enjoy sandy soil and love getting watered (two inches of water per week in fact).

There are various varieties of blueberries including Bluegolds, which are large in size, and then there are Northland’s, which are more tart and smaller in size.

To protect plants and their berries from wildlife, Ryan Nelson, of Nelson’s Berry Farm recommends a fence and the use of bird netting. Birds are especially notorious at getting under the netting, so nailing the netting to the wooden frame or into the ground will help preserve the blueberry crop.

There are several ways you can choose to preserve blueberries. You can either freeze them and use them for future use in muffins or smoothies. Making them into jam is also a common use for them.

Wine is always another way to preserve them. Recipe to try:

Homemade Blueberry Butter Made In The Slow Cooker

Prep Time 5 minutes Cook Time 6 hours Total Time 6 hours 5 minutes Servings 4 cups Ingredients

• 1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

• 3 lbs Blueberries fresh or frozen

• 1/4 Tsp Allspice

• 1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar

• 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice

• 1 Tsp Cinnamon Instructions 1. Dump blueberries into the slow cooker and set cooker on high for 90 minutes.

2. Take off lid and cook for another 30 minutes on low.

3. Hand blender to puree the blueberries right in the slow cooker. Or transfer blueberries to regular blender and blend then pour back in the slow cooker.

4. Put the lid back on the slow cooker leaving it slightly cracked to allow air to escape. Cook for another 3 hours on low. Stir every hour.

5. Now stir brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and lemon juice until combined.

6. Replace lid, again leaving a small crack in lid to allow air to escape. Over the next hour, the blueberry butter should thicken to your desired consistency.

7. Pour butter into jars and allow to cool before refrigerating. Properly refrigerated, blueberry butter will keep for 7-10 days.

Blueberries are in season and available fresh at area farmer’s markets.EMILY GOJMERAC/THE STAR NEWS