Wild About Maine (Wild) Blueberries!
It is high season for Maine’s lowbush wild blueberries. There are many ways to enjoy these succulent little superfoods.
Blueberry Season
I found this old sign years ago at a local antiques store. My son-in-law is convinced that one day someone will knock on our door asking to buy blueberries.
Do I grow blueberries? No, but I sure eat a lot of them this time of year.
For me, they are the taste of summer itself — as if blue sky and ocean were distilled by the warm sun into the form of a simple intensely flavored fruit.
Since it’s high season for Maine wild blueberries, I thought it was time to update this post I wrote four years ago, shortly after I started this blog.
I have some new recipes to share, but mostly I just wanted to bring this sweet (pun fully intended) little dispatch to the front page again.
Read on to learn what makes Maine wild blueberries unique, along with some of the best ways to enjoy them. My favorite might be the simplest…
Maine’s State Fruit
Have you ever had Maine wild blueberries? I am not talking about the large cultivated globes you get at the grocery store, imported from who-knows-where.
What I am referring to are those delicate little pearls bursting with deep 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. It’s no surprise they are considered a “superfood”.
So how do they grow differently from the blueberries you might be more familiar with?
Blueberry Barrens
These small blueberries grow wild in fields known as “barrens”. The low bushes are a species native to New England and grow 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 growers use machines to harvest them.
In the fall, the shrubs’ deciduous leaves turn a beautiful bronze color.
Let’s Get Some Blueberries!
I always get my blueberries from a 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 quart, but sometimes I get a 10-lb box to freeze.
Working in batches, I spread the blueberries in a single 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 zip-top bag for storage. Ten pounds 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’s in season and grown locally. The fresher the food, the better it will taste and the more nutrients it will contain.
So, when it’s blueberry season here in Maine, I am all in.
Favorite Ways to Enjoy Blueberries
Maine blueberries can be enjoyed so many different ways.
This time of year I eat them every morning for breakfast with plain yogurt and homemade granola. 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. And of course you can’t go wrong with blueberry pancakes — try this twist on the classic that adds fresh ricotta and a squeeze of lemon to the batter.
I also like to include blueberries in a summer salad. This is easily adaptable, but try mixed greens, sugar snap peas, green onions, slivered almonds, feta cheese, chick peas, and blueberries with a 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.
Last year I discovered this Alison Roman Blueberry Cornmeal Tart. With a shortbread-like dough used for a crust and crumble topping sandwiching jammy blueberries, it is an easy but elegant dessert. I suggest pre-baking the crust for 10 minutes before adding the filling to prevent sogginess.
McLoon’s Lobster Shack, which I wrote about in a recent blog post, serves a blueberry bread pudding that was named one of the 14 best restaurant desserts in the U.S. by the New York Times last year. McLoon’s recipe is a family secret, but I shared the recipe for blueberry bread pudding that I make at home here. Substitute split-top hotdog rolls for the challah and sprinkle on a good handful of white chocolate chips (McLoon’s stealth ingredient), if you want to try to duplicate their recipe.
For years, I have kept my go-to blueberry dessert super simple with this easy Blueberry Cobbler. It is delicious with some fresh grated ginger added to the blueberries too.
All this said, though, the best way to enjoy wild Maine blueberries might just be by the handful straight out of the carton!
Do you have a favorite blueberry recipe?
Last Week Into This
Last week got away from me, and I just didn’t find the time to get my weekly missive out to you. My apologies.
I had a fun visit with my friend Ann from Dabbling and Decorating. She wrote all about her stay in the guest cottage here. It was fun to see this familiar space anew through Ann’s eyes.
Then the evening after she left, I attended the lighthouse volunteer picnic. It is a classic New England event with burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and pie. Such a joy to gather together as a community!
The next morning I was up and out early to go to the Castine House and Garden Tour. Castine is one of the prettiest towns in Maine, and I came home with ideas and inspiration. I can’t wait to share those with you on Saturday.
I’m looking forward to seeing you again in a couple of days!
Questions, comments, or just want to say hello?
I’m always happy to hear from you.
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.