It is high season for Maine’s lowbush wild blueberries. There are many ways to enjoy these succulent little superfoods. Let’s try them all!
Blueberry Season
I love this old sign I found at a local antiques store. My son-in-law is convinced that one day someone will knock on our door asking for blueberries. Do I grow blueberries? Well, I planted two native blueberry bushes last year, but sadly they did not survive the winter. So no, I don’t. I sure do love them, though, and right now is high season for Maine blueberries!
Maine’s State Fruit
Have you ever had Maine wild blueberries? I am not talking about those large cultivated globes you get at the grocery store, imported from who-knows-where. What I am referring to are the delicate little pearls bursting with intense flavor that are the lowbush “wild” blueberry. These small but mighty fruits are full of antioxidants (twice the amount of their larger counterparts!) and contain anti-inflammatory compounds. No surprise they are considered a “superfood”!
How do they grow differently from the blueberries you might be more familiar with?
Blueberry Barrens
Last fall I went for a walk with my sister at a local blueberry field or “barren”. The low bushes are a native species to New England and grow wild on land that was cleared by glaciers over 10,000 years ago. They are not planted and cultivated like the more familiar highbush blueberries, but spread naturally through underground rhizomes. They thrive in Maine’s acidic soil. The berries were traditionally picked by hand using a special rake, but these days commercial enterprises use machines to harvest them. In the fall, the shrub’s deciduous leaves turn a beautiful bronze color.
Let’s Go Get Some Blueberries!
I always get my blueberries from my favorite local farm stand. Lowbush blueberries are small and difficult to harvest. Sometimes they are full of stems and leaves, but Beth’s blueberries are always nice and clean! I usually buy them by the pint, but once a summer I get a 10-lb box so I can freeze them.
Working in batches, I spread the blueberries in a layer on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer. This way they don’t freeze into a block. Once frozen, I move the berries to a ziplock bag for storage. 10 lbs is enough to last until next blueberry season. What a summery treat they are in the middle of winter!
I want to pause right here in my tribute to the Maine blueberry to say that I know that other parts of the country also grow delicious blueberries. (Tell me below if you live in one of those areas!) The main idea I want to encourage is to eat what is in season and is grown locally. The fresher the food, the better it will taste and the more nutrients it will contain! Win-win! So, when it is blueberry season here in Maine, I am all in!
How Do You Like to Eat Your Blueberries?
Maine blueberries are delicious prepared in many ways! I eat them every morning for breakfast this time of year with granola and yogurt. You could substitute vanilla ice cream for the yogurt and have an easy dessert! (Or decadent breakfast!)
Other blueberry breakfast treats are coffee cake or scones.
I also like to add blueberries to a salad. When friends came for lunch last week I made a salad of mixed greens, sugar snap peas, green onions, slivered almonds, feta cheese, chick peas, strawberries, and blueberries. I topped it with lemon mint dressing. Yum!
If pie is your thing, this Wild Maine Blueberry Pie is a classic! Wild blueberries make a flatter more runny pie, but it sure is tasty!
McLoon’s Lobster Shack, which I wrote about in a recent blog post, serves an amazing blueberry bread pudding. Give this one a try with your lobster roll, for an authentic Maine experience!
I like to keep it simple with my blueberry dessert. My go-to is this easy Blueberry Cobbler! It is delicious with some fresh grated ginger added to the blueberries too!
All this said, the best way to enjoy wild Maine blueberries might just be by the handful!
If you are wild about blueberries, Shop the Post below to add a little bluety to your life!
Summer is when family and friends come to visit. I will be enjoying time with them (eating blueberries and lobster rolls!), so you won’t see me as often. Rest assured, I will pop back on here when I can, with more content that I know you will love!
Until then, I hope you make the most of every moment this glorious season has to offer! Be well!
Shop The Post
I am sharing links below to some items related to this post. If an item was purchased locally, is no longer available, or is one-of-a-kind, I have suggested something similar. Keep in mind that since I have not actually seen those items, I cannot personally vouch for them. If you purchase through these links, it won’t change your price, but I will receive some compensation. I hope you enjoy this easy way to bring a little Maine style into your home!
I’m eating some DC blueberries (and peaches!) while reading all about yours in Maine. Nothing beats local summer fruit!
Ah, peaches, I miss mid-Atlantic peaches!! I make up for them with lots of Maine blueberries! We can make something with the ones from the freezer when you are here in September!
Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits; I have them with my oatmeal most mornings. . Sadly I don’t live in blueberry country but recently when we were in Maine on vacation I ate your delicious blueberries (and lobster) at least once every day there. I have some blueberries in my freezer and will make your cobbler recipe this weekend Recently found your blog and enjoying your posts
Sounds like you did your visit here right, with lobster and blueberries every day! I hope you enjoy the cobbler recipe. I have been making it for years!
Growing up in Michigan my family picked a year’s worth of blueberries in the Minden swamps every summer. My parents would each carry back two five-gallon buckets, filled to the top. I still remember having purple stained fingers for days. Happy memories! 🫐
Aw, happy memories, indeed! Did your family can the blueberries?
Do you make your own granola? I’d love for you to share your favorite recipe. I usually make muesli but am looking for a good recipe for granola that is low in sugar.
Hi Beth! Yes, I just started making my own granola, and the recipe is so good! I will definitely be sharing it here on the blog eventually, but I will send it to you before then!
Your Blueberry Cobbler and that Blueberry Bread Pudding sound amazing. Your blueberry post reminded me of the book “Blueberries For Sal” by Robert McCloskey from my preschool-teaching days.😄
Yes, I was thinking of that book as I was writing this post! The blueberry cobbler is a recipe I have been making for years. It is so easy! I haven’t tried making the bread pudding, but it sounds amazing!
Thanks for the background on Maine blueberries
It was fun to learn some of the background before I wrote this post! I already knew they were special, but it was interesting to learn how unique they are!
Growing up in Michigan, we picked wild”Huckeberries” that are much like your Maine Blueberries. Picked in the woods from low bushes along with parents and grandparents. Grandpa watched out for bears who also loved the berries. Many pies, cobblers and jams were the result. Enjoy your berries and thanks for the memory.
Hi Sharon — What wonderful memories! Lucky they didn’t include a bear — yikes! Thanks to grandpa!
Molly,
I love our wild picked Minnesota blueberries in muffins for breakfast. I grew up with my Mom’s homemade blueberry muffins every Saturday morning for breakfast. We picked them and she froze enough for a years worth of Blueberry Muffins and sometimes a pie!
Alice
Blueberry muffins! How could I leave those out??! Sounds like a great breakfast tradition!
I agree with you that those lowbush blueberries are the best, but the ones from down here in Virginia and the ones from Pennsylvania are a good substitute. It’s like wine, you can definitely taste the difference that terroir makes. I also have to admit that Beth’s strawberries are also the best, and I really love the strawberries from the Farmers’ Market here in Virginia. You should really share your recipe for granola because I would love to have it.
The low and highbush blueberries really are so different. Beth’s plants different varieties of strawberries so that they have them all summer long! We are so lucky! And yes, I will share my granola recipe sometime!
Love the blog about blueberries since like you i love maine blueberries. Thanks for the eating suggestions and the dessrt! You forgot to mention your granola with blueberries! What is the recipe? Have you ever seen the barrens in blueberry season or do they only allow walks in fall?
Amy
I will share my granola recipe another time! I don’t know if we can walk on the barrens during blueberry season. It would be fun to see it another time of year!
My brother and his wife own The Blueberry Farm in Hanson, Mass. Her scones, which she always brings to family gatherings, are her specialty.
I bet they are delicious!
Molly,
Your post is a reminder that seasonal fruits are the best. Blueberry season has come and gone here and they were scrumptious. I might have to get a pint from the store just to try your cobbler.
We are in the middle of peach season, I think I have eaten more peaches in the last week than I have in a year.
Have a wonderful week, thank you for sharing your beautiful corner of the world.
Thank you for stopping by, Elizabeth! We don’t have great peaches here in Maine. That is something I definitely miss, so your peaches sound heavenly to me!
Molly,
I love blueberries but didn’t realize they were the fruit of Maine. I’d love to taste your wild blueberries sometime.
I hope you get to visit here one day and come during blueberry season. I know you would love them! They are really something special!
Molly-
You should Google “Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins” via Yankee Magazine.
Growing up in New England it was a big department store in Boston and many cities all over New England. Their bb muffins were quintessential and tasty! I think the sugar sprinkled on top gave them a nice crunch.
Good luck with your new newsletter. Quite a project!
Have a great summer.
Melissa Alden
Thanks, Melissa! I will definitely check out that blueberry muffin recipe!
My husband and I LOVE blueberries and I am contemplating just flying over to get some of yours. Thanks for sharing your blueberry cobbler recipe, Molly. I can’t wait to try it. I’m excited to feature this on my Saltwater Sounds weekly blog post on Sunday.
Thanks for sharing, Kim! Please do fly here for some blueberries! I would love to see you!
So delicious and fun Molly!! I want to come visit! I’m excited to share your post in my weekend round up because I know my followers will love it!
Hi Kristin! Thanks so much for sharing this post in your round up! I wish you would come visit!
Oh Molly what a wonderful posts. I too love blueberries. Of course my state of New Jersey is know for blueberries and cranberries. I also freeze so I have them all year. Your cobbler recipe is quite like mine.
Hi Patty! Sorry for my delay in responding! There is nothing like pulling some of those summer blueberries out of the freezer in the dead of winter!
What a great post! Fresh blueberries in Maine I’m sure are amazing! I need to get some new bushes planted at our house, There aren’t any and it’s def not the same no throwing them! Sharing this post in my Sunday post today! xoxo
Somehow this slipped by me. Thanks for sharing in your blog, Stacy! Have you had success growing blueberries? I planted two native plants last year and they did not come back this year, sadly.