Pur et Simple

We have a neighbor {and by neighbor I mean that loosely} who has a lot of blueberry bushes.  He lets people pick and pay with the honor system at only $1/lb.  They are not organic, but he doesn't spray.   Sadly, his bushes haven't been producing too well the last couple of years.

Some years, we've missed blueberry season, and I lament all winter!  I didn't want that to happen this year!  Today we found a certified organic blueberry farm not too far from us.  Oh happy day!

We got there around 11 am. and it got quite warm, but my helpers did well.

Except this little helper {Mary Anne}, who shall be named Sal for the day. 

We ended our outing with iced cocoas and lattes from our favorite latte stand!

We picked 20.5 lbs.   What do we do with 20+ pounds of blueberries?  Well, some we'll eat fresh, but the rest we will freeze. 
Of all the produce to preserve, blueberries are the easiest. 

First, I rinse them.  Not to remove chemicals, as they are organic, but to get rid of spiders, leaves and stems.  Then I flash freeze them. 
To flash freeze - lay them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put the cookie sheet in the freezer for about an hour.  At that point, you can use a metal spatula to loosen them and place them in a measuring cup. 

I fill quart Ziploc bags with 2 cups of blueberries.  Most recipes call for 2 cups and this makes it a cinch - just pour 1 bag into the batter {muffin, pancake, cake, scones, etc.}. They stack so nicely  this way in the freezer too. 

Oh, it's blueberry bliss!  We might just have to go back for more. :-)