Camille Bains/The Canadian Press
WESTHAM ISLAND, B.C. — Four big containers brimming with juicy blueberries headed home with a smiling Jenny Yong, who was pulling her bounty in a wagon supplied by this U-pick farm south of Vancouver.
“I just eat them, and I put some in the freezer,” said Yong, who spent three hours collecting the blueberries, which she takes straight, by the handful, never mind cooking, baking or preserving them.
Rebekah Goedbloed of Airdrie, Alta., said her family would be driving home with their hand-picked blueberries from British Columbia, which produces 96 per cent of Canada’s highbush blueberries.
“It reminds me of when I was young, doing the same, but with strawberries,” said her B.C.-born husband Reuben, as he strolled through the fields with their eight-year-old daughter Pyper and 10-year-old son Koen.
Other blueberry fans who trekked to Emma Lea Farms, about an hour’s drive south of Vancouver, decided to buy them there instead because a better-than-average crop this year means the plump blue morsels are now so cheap.
A man picks blueberries at Emma Lea Farms in Ladner, B.C., on Monday July 21, 2014.
Some pickers were trying their hand at tayberries, a cross between blackberries and raspberries, especially because they have a mere two-week picking window in July compared to the July-to-September, and sometimes October, season for blueberries.
Kevin Husband, who owns the farm with his wife Joanne, said ideal conditions — hot days and cool nights — this year will amount to a huge harvest of about 6.7 tons of fruit from each of their 16 hectares of blueberries.
Husband hires contract workers to pick the blueberries up to mid-August and the rest will be harvested by machine, mostly for processing because the quality won’t be up to snuff to ship fresh berries to market.
Besides their versatility in everything from appetizers and main dishes to desserts, blueberries have a shelf life of up to 10 days compared to a couple of days for strawberries and raspberries, while the dainty but delicate tayberries last for just a day and a half.
Blueberries, which are also touted for their health benefits, including high antioxidant levels, are taking centre stage when it comes to marketing efforts focused on getting Canada’s highbush blueberries into as many products as possible for consumers around the world.
The blues are popping up in everything from chocolate, powders, wine, juice, purees, concentrates and baking mixes as the industry expands.
Freshly picked blueberries are seen at Emma Lea Farms in Ladner, B.C., on Monday July 21, 2014.
Debbie Estell, executive director of the BC Blueberry Council, said product development is continuing to meet consumer demands.
“There are still a lot of markets for us to go into, not only in Canada but outside of Canada,” she said from Calgary, where the council was promoting B.C. blueberries with cooking classes for four- to 12-year-old kids — after similar events in Vancouver in Toronto.
“One of the pushes this year is trying to get kids to eat healthy,” Estell said, adding the little folks made blueberry soba noodle salad, blueberry turkey burgers and dessert pizza with a tortilla as the base — with blueberries, of course.
In June, Estell, along with federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and his B.C. counterpart Norm Letnick, were marketing the province’s blueberries in China, hoping they would be the newest imported fruit headed there after Canadian cherries got the nod last year.
“We’ve been working on fresh-market access to China for nine years,” Estell said. “We have a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government and the Canadian government. We won’t have fresh-market access this year, but we’re hoping for next year.”
In February, B.C. blueberries made their debut at a food show in Dubai, and Estell said a couple of distributors are now setting up there to try to sell the berries dubbed “nature’s candy” by the council.
A woman picks blueberries at Emma Lea Farms in Ladner, B.C., on Monday July 21, 2014.
Canada began exporting blueberries to India two years ago, where the fruit is also available frozen, dried and in powders that can be added to tea, milk and yogurt, especially where refrigeration may not be available, Estell said.
Tom Baumann, director of the University of the Fraser Valley’s Pacific Blueberry Centre, said research is underway on new varieties of berries and everything from pest control without harsh pesticides to using drones for field surveys and robots for harvesting.
The centre also works with growers, processors, provincial and federal governments and berry groups throughout the Pacific Northwest to promote berries, said Baumann, a professor of agriculture at the university.
“North American growers are working together. It’s unbelievable. We’re working together and doing advertising campaigns and selling our crop.”
When it comes to blueberries, Baumann predicted they’re poised to be the top berry compared to ever-popular strawberries as well as raspberries, which tend to get mushy in school lunches.
“Blueberries can last a heck of a lot longer so you can ship them further, they can be processed a longer time, they can be chocolate-covered a longer time.”
RECIPES
Here are some recipes that make blueberries the star of the meal.
Blueberry Margarita with Cucumber and Basil
Blueberry Margarita with Cucumber and Basil. Photo: The Canadian Press/HO, BC Blueberry Council – Tracey Kusiewicz
Skip the tequila and replace the triple sec with orange juice for an everybody-can-drink-it version of this summer drink.
10 ml (2 tsp) fine sea salt
1 lime wedge
500 ml (2 cups) ice (about 10 cubes)
500 ml (2 cups) blueberries (fresh or partially thawed)
125 ml (1/2 cup) sliced cucumber
125 ml (1/2 cup) tequila
75 ml (1/3 cup) pineapple juice
50 ml (1/4 cup) fresh lime juice
50 ml (1/4 cup) chopped fresh basil
45 ml (3 tbsp) triple sec
Garnish
30 ml (2 tbsp) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
4 cucumber slices
4 basil leaves
In a shallow dish, place salt. Using lime wedge, moisten rim of 4 glasses, then dip in salt and set aside.
Starting with ice, place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until relatively smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with blueberries, cucumber slices and basil leaves.
Makes 4 servings (each 250 ml/8 oz).
Layered Blueberry Hazelnut Cheese Wheel
Layered Blueberry Hazelnut Cheese Wheel. Photo: The Canadian Press/HO, BC Blueberry Council – Tracey Kusiewicz
A spin on baked brie wrapped in phyllo pastry, this appy skips the pastry and baking and uses the heat of the blueberry compote to soften the cheese. Serve with fresh fruit and crackers.
350 g (12 oz) brie, camembert or any soft rind cheese (13-cm/5-inch round)
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
50 ml (1/4 cup) red wine
30 ml (2 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
45 ml (3 tbsp) brown sugar
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon zest
10 ml (2 tsp) lemon juice
Pinch each salt and black pepper
1 sprig fresh rosemary
125 ml (1/2 cup) hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Cut cheese round in half horizontally. Place bottom half, cut side up, on a serving platter. Set aside at room temperature with the top half of cheese.
In a saucepan, bring blueberries, red wine, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until reduced to a thick compote.
Add entire rosemary sprig in last 2 minutes of cooking, then remove.
Spoon half the hot compote over bottom half of cheese. Cover with top half of cheese, cut side down, and top with remaining compote and hazelnuts.
Makes 1 wheel and 750 ml (3 cups) compote.
Quick Blueberry Lamb Kebabs with Yogurt Cucumber Mint Sauce
Quick Blueberry Lamb Kebabs with Yogurt Cucumber Mint Sauce. Photo: The Canadian Press/HO, BC Blueberry Council – Tracey Kusiewicz
These quick-to-fix kebabs can be popped on the grill or baked in the oven. Serve with pita bread.
Kebabs
Oil, for greasing skewers
500 g (1 lb) lean ground lamb
250 ml (1 cup) blueberries (fresh or frozen), roughly chopped
50 ml (1/4 cup) very finely diced shallots
15 ml (1 tbsp) crushed garlic
30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh mint
5 ml (1 tsp) finely grated lemon zest
10 ml (2 tsp) ground cumin
10 ml (2 tsp) ground coriander
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
5 ml (1 tsp) black pepper
5 ml (1 tsp) mild smoked paprika
5 ml (1 tsp) hot chili flakes or powder (optional)
Pinch ground cloves
Yogurt Cucumber Mint Sauce
250 ml (1 cup) Greek or Balkan 10 per cent fat yogurt
125 ml (1/2 cup) grated seeded cucumber
30 ml (2 tbsp) chopped fresh mint
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh dill
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
2 ml (1/2 tsp) black pepper
Heat oven to 200 C (400 F). If using wooden skewers, soak in water for 10 minutes.
Grease a baking sheet and 12 flat 15-cm (6-inch) skewers with vegetable oil.
In a bowl, mix together kebab ingredients. With wet hands, form lamb mixture into oblong sausage shapes around the top ends of the oiled skewers.
Place on baking sheet and bake on top rack of heated oven for 8 to 10 minutes; finish on broil to brown for another 5 to 8 minutes. Alternatively, barbecue over medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes.
Mix yogurt sauce ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.
Serve kebabs with sauce.
Makes 12 kebabs and 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) sauce.
No-Bake Frozen Blueberry Pie
No-Bake Frozen Blueberry Pie. Photo: The Canadian Press/HO, BC Blueberry Council – Tracey Kusiewicz
Here’s a classic blueberry dessert that’s gluten-free and needs no baking. You’ll want to stick with the 11 per cent yogurt to ensure best results for this one.
Crust
125 ml (1/2 cup) almonds (whole or sliced)
250 ml (1 cup) chopped pitted dates
50 ml (1/4 cup) unsweetened finely shredded coconut
45 ml (3 tbsp) butter, melted
30 ml (2 tbsp) maple syrup
5 ml (1 tsp) cinnamon
5 ml (1 tsp) finely grated orange zest
Pinch salt
Filling
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
250 ml (1 cup) plain 11 per cent Greek yogurt
50 ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
50 ml (1/4 cup) cream cheese, room temperature
45 ml (3 tbsp) whipping cream
15 ml (1 tbsp) finely grated orange zest
15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh orange juice
Topping
Fresh blueberries
Maple syrup
Crust: Line bottom and sides of a 23-cm (9-inch) pie dish with parchment paper.
In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground but not a paste. Add dates, coconut, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, orange zest and salt; pulse until finely ground. Press crust into bottom and up sides of lined pie dish; set aside at room temperature.
Filling: In a blender, puree blueberries, yogurt, maple syrup, cream cheese, whipping cream, orange zest and orange juice until smooth. Pour filling into pie dish and freeze for 2 to 3 hours.
Once frozen, remove parchment paper to slice.
Top with fresh blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Pie is best enjoyed within 3 to 8 hours.
Makes 6 servings.
Source: BC Blueberry Council.