Hardie's Fresh Foods

Texas Blueberries 

Now in Season

Local Texas Blueberries (Item# 82009) are now in season.  Texas blues are not only fresher, but are a great value too.  They come in 1 pint containers and are about the same price as the 1/2-pint blueberries we get from California.

Blueberries thrive in the sandy East Texas soil and climate, which produces the delicious Rabbiteye Blueberry variety.  These deep, dusky blues are dense with flavor, and are great in summer salads, baking and even BBQ sauce!  Here are a few ideas from Food & Wine:

1. Cocktails. Muddle the summer fruit in a gin-based pomegranate cocktail, a refreshing limeade or a simple bourbon old-fashioned.

2. Infused booze. Soak mashed blueberries in vodka for two weeks, then strain twice. [This is where we won’t tell you to then funnel it into a water bottle and take it to the park for the world’s most fun summer picnic.]

3. Syrup. If booze-berries aren’t your thing, cook blueberries with water and sugar, then strain out the solids to make a syrup for adding to seltzer or pouring over pancakes.

4. Healthy PB&J. Skip the sticky sweet jam and stud your peanut butter sandwich with fresh blueberries.

5. Salads. Toss them in salads with crisp vegetables, like kohlrabi, red cabbage or fennel, and congratulate yourself for upping the antioxidants in your life.

6. Barbecue sauce. Preserve them in a sweet-and-savory sauce for brushing on ribs or pork chops.

7. Frozen Yogurt. Make a blueberry sauce to swirl into lemon froyo (you may never eat ice cream again).

8. Shortcakes. End the strawberry monopoly over this dessert and layer blueberry compote (or lightly smashed fresh blueberries) in biscuits with whipped cream or crème fraîche.

9. Bread pudding. Chilly summer night? Fold blueberries into a custardy bread pudding and cozy up around the fire pit.

10. Popsicles. Freeze (tequila-spiked!) blueberry puree in popsicle molds. Tell any nearby children that they’re made with kale and they wouldn’t like them.

11. Sabayon. Make a sabayon (a creamy, boozy, whipped dessert) and serve over the berries. Pretend it’s healthy