Episode 40: Feeling Blue?

Ford On Food

I personally don’t think blueberries are actually true blue.
They are kind of a dusty indigo colour on the outside and mainly white or pale green on the inside.
That said, they are as blue as a food is ever going to get. Most people are unaware there are many varieties, and around the globe blueberries are known by differing names.
In northern England they are often called Whineberry, and in other parts of the UK Whortleberries.
In America they can also be referred to as Bilberries or Huckleberries (think of Huckleberry Finn).
In Australia we just call them blueberries.
Regardless of the species or name, blueberries are a member of the Vaccinium species.
The firm skin surrounds a soft and juicy flesh with tiny, tender seeds.
They are on average the size of a pea.
Blueberries taste sweet and tart and are usually eaten raw, but are also spectacular baked into muffins or cooked into fruit compote or a jam.
They are a fantastic source of vitamin C.
Here are some great ideas for using blueberries:
Cooked into an apple pie or crumble
Added to a fresh fruit salad
Blended with other berries and frozen into a sorbet
Served with low fat Greek yoghurt
Sprinkled over pancakes, or added to the pancake batter.
Blueberry Pancakes
1 egg
2 tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp butter, melted
½ cup blueberries
In a bowl, whisk together the egg and castor sugar.
Sift together the self raising flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Melt butter and leave cool.
Slowly add the flour and buttermilk alternately to the egg and sugar mix.
Then whisk in the cooled melted butter and stir in the blueberries.
Place tablespoons of batter into a greased frypan on medium heat.
Serve warm pancakes with butter and maple syrup.
Serves 4.
Note: Alternatively, other ingredients such as diced apple and cinnamon or chocolate chips can used instead of blueberries.