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UPDATE April 14th 2016 - We have a new website promoting Liverpool!
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Friday 17 August 2012

NOVA SCOTIA'S Provincial Berry - Blueberries

Wild blueberries are the rage.

Wild blueberries are a nutritious treat that is a good source of Vitamin C and dietary fiber. There is no fat, sodium or cholesterol and only 80 calories per cup of berries. As well, recent studies have shown that the pigments that give the wild blueberries their unique color provide many health benefits. 

http://www.nswildblueberries.com

Wild Blueberry Recipes

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Wild Blueberry Smoothie
1 ¼ c wild blueberries
1 c. orange juice, chilled
2 c. fat-free yogurt
¼ c. fat-free or 1% milk
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into two large glasses.


Wild Blueberry Sauce
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 ½ c. wild blueberries
¼ c. water
1 tsp. lemon juice
Mix sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add wild blueberries and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Great with pancakes and waffles.

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Wild Blueberry Grunt
Sauce:
4 c. wild blueberries
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
¾ c. sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
½ c water
Dumplings:
2 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter or shortening
Milk
Heat berries, spices, sugar, lemon juice & water in a skillet; boil gently until well blended & slightly cooked down. Sift flour, baking powder, salt & sugar into a bowl. Cut in butter and add enough milk to make a soft biscuit dough. Drop by spoonfuls into hot berry sauce. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes (no peeking!). The dumplings should be puffed and well cooked through. Transfer cooked dumplings to serving dishes. Ladle sauce over top; serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Wild Blueberry Lemon Loaf
1 c. white sugar
½ c. margarine
2 eggs
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ c. flour
½ c. milk
1 ½ c. floured wild blueberries
Cream sugar & margarine. Beat in eggs and lemon rind. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Fold in wild blueberries dusted with flour. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. While still warm, pour mixture of ¼ c. sugar & juice of 1 lemon over loaf. Allow to cool. Makes 1 loaf.

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Wild Blueberry Crisp
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Grease an 8x8 inch square baking dish.
Cream together:
1/3 c. butter or margarine
1 ¼ c. lightly packed brown sugar
Stir in until crumbly a mixture of:
1/3 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. rolled oats
¼ tsp. cinnamon
Arrange in prepared dish:
3-4 c. wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Sprinkle with crumbs.
Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 40 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Makes 6 servings.

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Low Fat Wild Blueberry Muffins
3 ½ c. flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. brown sugar
1 ¾ c. unsweetened applesauce
¾ c. wild blueberries
½ c. cranberries, chopped (optional)
¼ c. brown sugar (2nd amount)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift flour baking powder, soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, brown sugar and applesauce; add to dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Fold berries into the batter and pour into prepared muffin tins, filling two-thirds full. Sprinkle tops with brown sugar (2nd amount) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Yields 18 large or 24 medium muffins.

Blueberry Crusted Salmon
25 ounces salmon fillet
Blueberry Crust:
7 ½ ounces fresh bread crumbs
12 ½ ounces fresh wild blueberries
½ tsp. pesto
Seasoning to taste.
Accompaniment:
4 c. cooked basmati rice
20 ounces fresh vegetables blanched and tossed in butter.
Make crust by mixing all ingredients for crust together. Sear salmon and top with crust. Place it on greased tray and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Serve with rice and vegetables.

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Wild Blueberry Jam
4 ½ c. fresh wild blueberries
1/3 c. lime juice
½ c. water
1 Tbsp. grated lime rind - optional
1 pkg. powdered fruit pectin
4 c. sugar
In a large pan, combine the blueberries, lime juice, water, pectin and lime rind. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the sugar and while constantly stirring, bring to rolling boil again. Keep at a hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim foam from top if needed. Quickly spoon into clean jars and seal.

Harvesting of blueberries begins in August and runs into September.

Another taste of Nova Scotia
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