Red, White, and Blueberry Kind-of-Fourth of July!

I love to pick blueberries!! For years I looked forward to picking at the Fromm-Huff Farms outside Pleasant Plains/Salisbury, IL every June. Several years I would miss blueberry season because our missions trips to the Dominican Republic were held in June.

I have purchased blueberries from Sam's or other places, but it is not the same as picking them myself. I enjoy being outdoors, listening to the birds sing, getting my shoes muddy and soaking up some sunshine.

This year I picked blueberries at Backwoods Berry Farm in Hettick, IL. The bushes there are 6 years old; they have been picking for 2 years now. The berries were huge! I photographed a handful along with a few coins so you could have a reference as to the size. The orchard is well cared for, not too muddy, nor was it very buggy on Saturday, June 26th. The bushes are small in comparison to what I had become accustomed to at Fromm-Huff. I sat on the ground most of the morning to pick.

I picked ~10 lbs that day! I also bought a blueberry pie and 2 smaller pies-another blueberry and a strawberry/rhubarb pie. They are in the freezer now. Not sure how long they will stay there, but I always think I should have something on hand, in case of unexpected company! It would be nice to pull out a fresh blueberry pie in the middle of winter!

I gave away a few berries, so was anxious to check out Jeffries Orchard in Springfield, a few miles north of the airport. I picked ~ 4.8 lbs on Wednesday, June 30 and 7.9 lbs on Saturday, July 2. Now you would think I have blueberries coming out of my ears, but it takes alot for a pie.

Deb Yeaman found this delicious recipe which I baked to share with my "Hawaii Vacation" friends at a mini-reunion recently.

Here is the recipe--

Creamy Blueberry Pie

3 C. Fresh Blueberries 2 Eggs, beaten

1 (9 inch) Deep Dish Pie Crust 1/2 C. Sour Cream

1 C. White Sugar 1/2 C. White Sugar

1/3 C All-Purpose Flour 1/2 C. All Purpose Flour

1/8 tsp. Salt 1/4 C. Butter

Combine 1 C. Sugar, 1/3 C. Flour and Salt. Add eggs and sour cream, stirring until blended.

Place blueberries in pastry shell, and spoon sour cream mixture over berries.

In another bowl, combine 1/2 C. Sugar and 1/2 C. Flour. Cut in butter or margarine with pastry blender until mixture resembles course meal. Sprinkle this mixture over sour cream mixture and berries in the pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until lightly browned. If desired garnish with additional blueberries or mint leaves.

I garnished the topping with a few "Star shaped" pieces of pie crust for the 4th of July holiday.

The I beat the eggs with the mixer. It was amazing to see this pie "puff up" in the oven. It was absolutely delicious and a hit with my "Hawaiian Vacation" friends.