My Blooming Love Affair With Frozen Blueberries

I fell in love with the taste of blueberries the first time I had a blueberry muffin when I was a teenager. Whenever I get a chance to order one, I’d get a muffin, a cheesecake, or a smoothie with blueberry flavor. I just love that unique taste that I couldn’t find in other berries.

Looks like my daughter has also acquired my love for blueberries because she is now obsessed with blueberry cheesecakes. So much so that she now has a small cheesecake business of her own, with blueberry cheesecakes as one of the flavor options.

I thought I’ve already tasted the best blueberries around until I tried U.S. frozen blueberries. I love them all the more now that they are uncooked and not in the form of jams.

I’m so thankful to know that U.S. blueberries are available all throughout the year! Here you’ll see that I used them in this colorful salad I made and in my blueberry muffins. At first, I thought they’d go too squishy and unappealing once they are thawed, but they did not. They retained their shape and the juices burst in my mouth whenever I eat some.

Blueberry Medley

Ingredients:

Greens – you can use your favorites, lettuce or romaine
1 cup – U.S. frozen blueberries
1/2 cup – mandarin oranges
1/2 cup – glazed cherries
1/2 cup of your favorite nuts – cashews or almonds

Dressing:
1/4 cup – balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup – olive oil
3 tbsp – honey
2 tbsp – mustard

Just mix, toss everything, and chill before serving!

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cups – flour
1/2 cup – sugar
1 tsp – baking powder
3 tsp – oil or 2 tbsp butter
1 pc – large egg
1/4 cup – milk
1 tsp – vanilla extract
1 cup – U.S. frozen blueberries

How to make:

Preheat oven to 170C
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Add oil or butter, milk and vanilla extract.
Mix well but do not over mix.
Fold in the frozen blueberries.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until done.

Take out from the oven and let the muffins cool down before serving.

You can find Farmers Best Frozen Highbush Blueberries in the frozen section of supermarkets everywhere. Exclusive to Rustan’s Supermarket outlets are brands offering frozen U.S. blueberries like Essential Everyday and Sunny Select.

Why eat blueberries?

Blueberries are a great source of immunity boosting-vitamin C, plus vitamin K and manganese for bone health, as well as dietary fiber for improved digestion. Researchers continue to find new benefits as they have a category of phytonutrients called polyphenols, which are known for their antioxidant properties.

Scientific research on benefits to cardiovascular health, insulin response, gut health, brain health, physical exercise and other areas are also being conducted. Blueberries may yield even more healthy goodness than we know.

Frozen U.S. blueberries can be used in cocktails, drinks, salads, cakes, pies, and baked goods, and yes, even in savory dishes. Try them in recipes for pork tenderloin, meatballs, chicken, pizzas, burgers, sauces, and sandwiches. They’re a highly versatile and nutritious ingredient.

Are you not in love with blueberries yet?

For more information and delicious recipes using U.S. blueberries, go to the Blueberry Council website.

Like and follow U.S. Blueberries Philippines on Facebook and Instagram for more blueberry fun, cooking tips, recipes, videos, and trivia. Watch out for my U.S. Blueberries giveaway! You can join by sharing your own dishes using U.S. Blueberries in my post at http://www.facebook.com/tweenselmomand you will have a chance to win 3 awesome packs of US Blueberries!