farmersmarket365

Ok, so today is not actually a Farmer’s market thing but still relevant to storing things for the winter.  Blueberry picking was the job of the day.  We went to Schartner’s farm because they were picking and opened early.  Eight am was our start time and the berries just fell off the bush into our hands.  In fact the person said we could pick anywhere as there were so many it didn’t matter.  One good thing about this farm is that the more you pick the more the price is reduced, and so Anni and I decided to pool our berries to get the 20 lbs + price of $2.59/lb.  One thing about picking is that it can get addictive and so one has to be careful that you don’t come home with way more food then you would ever use.  In fact if I go again this summer it will be strictly for eating now.

We didn’t do this today but in the future I would bring my own bucket so that the berries are not collected in plastic bags.  I think that not only because I don’t want more plastic but also because it was so hot the bags became like little sauna’s for the berries- they sweat out a lot.  Needless to say there was not time to wait to process and as soon as I got home, (ok so I did have a bowl of berries with some oatmeal before starting) I began to process.

To get them ready for the freezer i take handfuls of the berries and sort through them taking out any green or squished berries.  I am not a perfectionist so if I freeze a few stems so be it.  I then take spread them out on a cookie sheet and place the sheets in the freezer.  I do not wash them as it make them too mushy, if you want to then be sure to somehow drain as much water off as possible.  Once frozen I place them in gallon bags- why so large, because then when I want a handful for my oatmeal, or cups for my muffins in January I can just scoop.

Now the green ones I removed are destined for the compost, but do not get rid of the squishy ones, they are still good to use- blueberry syrup, great over pancakes or ice cream, and believe it or not in tomato sauce. This year however I used them to make blueberry balsamic vinegar.  Check out the recipe here.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/cooking-live/blueberry-balsamic-vinegar-recipe/index.html

Was it worth it, absolutely!  First and foremost it was a great way to spend time with a friend.  Second, I now have blueberries that will last all winter.  A week ago I bought a pint for $4.00.  My total take today was 15 pints which at $4.00/ pt. would come to $60.00.  My cost was about $30.00.

Take away from today:

1. Pick local berries with a friend- pool your picking for a better price

2. Pick and process as soon as possible

3. Feel good about saving money

4. Look for different ways to sue what you bring home

Oh and lastly, be sure you snack along the way