Blueberry season in full swing

IOWA CITY - Last year wasn't kind to Tom Kane's blueberry crop.

A warm spell in March, followed by a cold snap a few weeks later, killed the blossoms at The Orchards on Sand Road in 2012.

“Cool, wet springs - like the one we had this year - are the best for blueberries,” Kane says.

That's great news for blueberry enthusiasts roaming Kane's blueberry patch with baskets, bags and plastic milk cartons.

“We'll pick about 50 pounds by the time the season is over,” says Lisa-Ann Johnson of Iowa City.

Some will be eaten fresh, but most will be stored in the freezer and used throughout winter.

“You throw some frozen blueberries on top of hot oatmeal in the morning and you have that taste of summer in January,” Johnson says.

Bob Havel of Fairfax bakes with his berries.

“Blueberry pancake and muffins are great, but blueberry cobbler is my favorite,” Havel says as he picks blueberries with his wife, Sara. “When it's just out of the oven - I just can't stop.”

Lois Albrecht of Iowa City will eat most of her berries fresh and will freeze the rest.

“Just put them in a bag and freeze them,” says Laura Davis of Texas. “A handful is a great winter snack.”

Not only do blueberries taste good, they're good for you. Blueberries are a great source of antioxidants, as well as potassium, iron, vitamin C and dietary fiber.

Blueberry season in Eastern Iowa typically begins in late June and lasts through July.

This season started late and should continue through August, Kane says.

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Find the blueberries:

The Orchards on Sand Road

5888 Sand Rd. SE, Iowa City; 319-358-8107

Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Blueberries are $3 per pound.

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Blueberry Equivalents

One dry cup (8 fluid ounces) of fresh or frozen blueberries is equal to:

--- 90 to 129 large blueberries

--- 130 to 189 medium blueberries

--- 5 ounces by weight (3 cups to a pound)

--- 2/3 cup pureed

--- 1/2 cup pureed and strained

--- 2/3 cup after simmering 5 minutes with 2 tablespoon water

--- 1 cup frozen blueberries = 2/3 cup thawed blueberries

Source: www.blueberrycouncil.org

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LEMON-BLUEBERRY SCONES

• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
• ½ cup fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

Whisk sour cream and egg in a small bowl until smooth.

Mix flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, blueberries and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Grate butter into flour mixture, using large holes of a box grater; toss to combine. Stir in sour cream mixture until large clumps of dough form. Use your hands to press dough against sides and bottom of bowl to form a ball. (There may not seem like enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place dough on a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 7 ½ –inch circle about ¾-inch thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Source: Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Sept. 14, 2005)

BEST BERRY SAUCE

• 3 cups fresh blueberries (hulled and sliced strawberries or raspberries work, too)
• ½ to ¾ cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon or lime juice

In a nonreactive 2-quart saucepan, combine berries, ½ cup confectioners' sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until berries have softened and sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste, and stir in additional sugar and lemon juice, if desired. Serve warm, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Reheat to serve, if you like.

This sauce complements the sweetness of many desserts, including ice cream and pound cake. Recipe makes about 2 cups.

Source: The Good Housekeeping Cookbook: 1,275 Recipes from America's Favorite Test Kitchen (Hearst; Oct. 5, 2010)