Georgia farmers will harvest nearly 60 million pounds of blueberries this year, according to the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
At local farmers markets, pints of freshly picked blueberries are stacked high and shoppers are snacking on the berries as they buy their other groceries. One pint for snacking, two pints for cooking and three pints for the freezer might be just the right ratio.
Blueberries grow from one end of the state to the other. Joe Cornelius, Jr., executive director of the Georgia Blueberry Commission, farms 175 acres of blueberries at J & B Blueberry Farm in Manor, between Waycross and Valdosta. He estimates 90 percent of the commercial blueberry production in Georgia is in that part of southeastern Georgia.
"It's our soil. Blueberries want a soil that's fairly high in organic matter that's also well-drained. They like it damp, but they don't want to be wet," Cornelius said.
He grows 12 varieties, extending his harvest from late April to mid-July. Here in the northern part of the state, blueberries will be harvested through August so it's not too late to get out and pick your own. Georgia Grown's website, www.georgiagrown.org, has a list of pick-your-own farms.
Cornelius' favorite way to eat blueberries? Fresh from the field.
His suggestion for an easy dessert? A blueberry crisp made by putting a pint or two of blueberries in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and covering the berries with a box of yellow cake mix. One stick of butter is diced and sprinkled on top, then the crisp goes into a 350-degree oven. "It's so simple even I can make it, but my wife says I make too much of a mess. She'd rather fix it herself," he said.
In Serenbe, south of Atlanta, blueberries are edible landscaping, planted along the streets in the little commercial areas. Visitors and homeowners are invited to snack on the ripe blueberries as they stroll through the neighborhood.
Blueberries are so popular at Serenbe that Marie Nygren, proprietress of The Farmhouse at Serenbe, has created The Farmhouse Blueberry Rum Cocktail. For each serving, she purees 1/4 cup fresh blueberries with a tablespoon of brown sugar and some fresh lemon juice. The puree can be strained before it's mixed with a jigger or two of rum and topped off with a half cup of ginger ale and served on the rocks in a tall glass. A perfect summer celebration of Georgia's blueberry crop.
At local farmers markets
Cooking demos:
6 p.m. Thursday, July 19. Chef Seth Freedman of Forage and Flame. East Atlanta Village Farmer's Market, Atlanta. www.farmeav.com
9:30 a.m. Saturday, July 21. Chef Anne Quatrano of Bacchanalia working with tomatoes. Morningside Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.morningsidemarket.com
10 a.m. Saturday, July 21. Chef Ford Fry of JCT Kitchen. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
11 a.m. Saturday, July 21. Chef Todd Annis. Green Market at Piedmont Park, Atlanta. www.piedmontpark.org
11:30 a.m. Sunday, July 22. Chef Nick Melvin. Grant Park Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.grantparkmarket.org
For sale
Vegetables, fruit and nuts: arugula, Asian greens, blackberries, blueberries, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, collards, corn, cucumbers, dandelion, eggplant, endive, escarole, fava beans, fennel, figs, garlic, green beans, green onions, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, Malabar spinach, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, patty pan squash, pea shoots, peaches, pears, pecans, peppers, potatoes, sorrel, spaghetti squash, spinach, squash blossoms, tomatoes, turnips, watermelon, yellow squash, zucchini
From local reports
The Farmhouse Blueberry Cobbler
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
Fruit cobblers come in many variations. Marie Nygren serves this one at The Farmhouse, her restaurant at Serenbe. It's a classic, perhaps because it's not only delicious but easy. Once you've made it with blueberries, prepare it with any summer fruit you like, including Georgia Grown peaches. At The Farmhouse, the cobbler is served with ice cream, a blueberry sauce and a few fresh berries.
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 pint (2 cups) fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put butter into 9-by-13-inch baking dish and put it in oven while oven is preheating. Remove when butter has melted, about 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk until batter is smooth. Pour into melted butter in baking dish. Scatter fruit across the top. Bake cobbler 30 minutes or until cobbler is cooked through and top begins to brown. Serve hot or warm.
Per serving: 291 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 3 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 12 grams fat (8 grams saturated), 33 milligrams cholesterol, 244 milligrams sodium.
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