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How to add wild blueberries into your life

We are all on the go all the time. And we all know that feeling of not getting enough veg\fruit intake. We’ve created a list here of ways to add wild blueberries into your everyday life. And yes, even if you’re on the go.

Home Made Pizza

Making homemade pizza? Wild Blueberries are the perfect sweet toppings to add on. Add them on with your other ingredients then bake in the oven.

Yogurt

Top your plain yogurt off with fresh wild blueberries. This adds extra sweetness to your day. Plus, a ton of health benefits.

Smoothie

Super easy breakfast. Blend up your favourite foods which include wild blueberries and add them to your blender.

Charcuterie Board

Are you having some friends over and creating a charcuterie board? Add some wild blueberries to your board not only to add flavour but add some colour.

Toast

Why spread your toast with anything but wild blueberries? Grab your favourite wild blueberry jam and spread that toast up!

 

This little wild blue fruit is packed with anthocyanin pigments that protect our body from free radicals that are a major reason for early ageing and disease processes. Researchers from the past two decades have been studying this amazing fruit that can protect our health in so many ways. You’ll be reaching for these little sweet things time and time again.

 

Wild Blueberry Cheese Cake

 

Wild Blueberry Cheese Cake

Let's switch things up this holiday season! This will be your go to for the foreseable future.
Cook Time 1 hour 28 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 8 minutes
Course Dessert

Equipment

  • Oven
  • mixing bowls
  • baking pan

Ingredients
  

Base

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling

  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

Base

  • Preheat your oven to 350
  • Mix base ingreidents into a mixing bowl
  • Pour mixture into a baking pan
  • Put the baking pan with the mixutre into the oven for 8-10 mintues
  • After 8-10 mintues add 3 cups of frozen wild bluebrries place this over the cooked bottom

Filling

  • Mix filling togethr in a mixing bowl
  • Pour mixture over the frozen wild blueberries
  • Then pop back into the oven and bake for 1-1/2 hours
  • After the cook time take out and top with fresh wild blueberries.

Notes

 

Wild Blueberry Gift Guide

Wild Blueberry Gift Guide

The Holidays are coming up and we created a wild blueberry gift guide for you. More than ever shopping locally has become a need.

Nova Scotia Fisherman Blueberry Lip Balm 

Doesn’t every get extra dry lips in the winter? Because over here we do as well. This gift is the perfect stocking stuffer. The warm scent of blueberries will leave you craving them all day every day.

Not to mention that this is also a Nova Scotian-made product. What’s better than having moisturized lips? Buying that lip balm locally! Shop here

Dried Chewy Wild Blueberries 

Who doesn’t want a little snack in their stocking to munch on? Well, look no further. Dried Chewy Wild blueberries made by Van Dyk Blueberries are the perfect stuffer to fill that stocking.

SO, what kind of nutrients are you getting from the dried chewy wild blueberries? 1 Tablespoon of Chewy Dried Wild Blueberries = ½ cup of fresh Wild Blueberries. So what are you waiting for? Shop here

Wild Blue Gift Box

What better way to show you care than to give a gift of health, and it’s delicious too! This gift basket has all the major products from Van Dyks Blueberries. Trust us this is something you don’t want to pass up. Shop Here

  • 1 x 250ml Wild Blueberry Juice
  • 1 x 300g Wild Blueberry Blossom Honey
  • 1 x 150g Powder
  • 1 x 30g Crunchy
  • 1 x 30g Chewy

 

 

 

Wild Blueberry Sample Pack

Not looking for something as big as the gift back. Well, that’s why the sample back was created. Try all the classics at a fraction of the price. Included in this pack is:

  • 1 x 30g Dried Chewy Wild Blueberries
  • 1 x 30g Dried Crunchy Wild Blueberries
  • 1 x 30g Powdered Wild Blueberries
  • 1 x 250ml 100% Pure WildBlueberry Juice

Shop Here

Nova Scotia Spirit Co.

Attending a holiday party? Bring along a 6pack of Blue Lobster lemon wild blueberry vodka sodas. Trust us whoever the host is having the holiday party will love these drinks. The citrus taste with blueberries is so refreshing everyone will be asking where you found these. Shope Here

Galloping Cow Wild Blueberry Pepper Jelly

If you’ve read our recipe blogs, we created a yummy baked brie topped with this jelly. Which is the perfect appetizer to bring to any holiday party. Whether you’re making this dish yourself or just gifting the wild blueberry pepper jelly on itself; everyone will benefit from it. Shop Here

Do you have any wild blueberry gift ideas that you think we forgot? Comment and let us know! As always support local this year.

Blue Pigment

What is blue Pigment?

We all know blueberries are a beautiful blue colour, but did you know that blue pigment has a wide variety of benefits?

To begin with, the blue pigment found in wild blueberries is one of the richest sources of anthocyanin pigments ( antho-flowering plan; cyanin-blue), all you need is a daily serving for 40g for some amazing health benefits.

So what is anthocyanin?

The word anthocyanin comes from the words Anthos (flower) and kuanos (blue).

They are the plant compounds found in the skin of Wild Blueberries that give them their blue hue. Research suggests that anthocyanin work to reduce inflammation and is beneficial to humans.

Wild Blueberries have some of the highest levels of anthocyanin.

What are some benefits of anthocyanin?

–   Studies show that Wild Blueberries have natural anti-inflammatory effects.

–   Anti Diabetic- a study showed results that wild blueberries are able to induce insulin secretion.

–   Happy heart- those who consume more anthocyanin-rich foods can reduce their risk for developing hypertension, coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.

–   Cognitive Function- research has shown positive effects of anthocyanin consumption on the working memory of older adults. Research also suggests that anthocyanins have the potential to decrease inflammation, therefore, improving blood flow and increasing communication between cells in the brain.

So, not only are their many benefits to consuming a diet high in anthocyanin but these foods will add beautiful colour to your plate. They might even turn your tongue to a pretty purple-blue colour.

Drinks that Contain Canadian Wild Blueberries: Nova Scotia Edition

Fall is the perfect season to crave wild blueberries. So, here is a list of some local Nova Scotia products that are both non-alcoholic and alcoholic for you to enjoy.

Wild Blueberry Soda

Chill Street Craft Beverages

 

This non-aclcoholic soda is made with 100% Nova Scotia wild blueberry juice from Millen Farms. Not only is this soda caffeine-free but it’s gluten-friendly and made with no artificial colours.

Do your kids ask for “sodas” on the weekends, well if so, this is the soda product you should be reaching for.

Wild Thing- Blueberry Sangria

Chill Street Craft Beverages

Looking for something that has alcohol from Chill Street? Well, this is the perfect fall sangria for you. Wild thing has the bold fruity taste of sangria in the convince of a can. And is also made with 100% Nova Scotia wild blueberries.

Suggested food pairings with the sangria is corn!

Press Wild Blueberries- Sparkling

Viveau

Looking for something more refreshing? Try the Viveau sparkling juice. The blueberries contained in this drink are from Oxford, Nova Scotia. And don’t forget that Oxford is the Wild Blueberry capital of Canada.

 

Blue Lobster Wild Blueberry Lemon Vodka Soda

Nova Scotia Spirit Co.

Blue Lobster Blueberry Lemon Vodka Soda

Looking for something light and contains alcohol? This vodka soda is made with 100% Nova Scotia wild blueberries. Not only do you get the delicious sweet taste of blueberries but this drink also has a hint of lemon. Giving you all the refreshing tastes you need.

Gluten free and made with all natural flavours, you can’t go wrong with this one.

 

Wild Blueberry Juice

Van Dyk’s

This juice has 100% wild blueberries in every drop. Every bottle is packed with polyphenols, antioxidants and anthocyanins. In other words, this is a juice you will want to drink every morning.

Not to mentions each bottle has over 2000 wild blueberries which means there’s no room to add in anything else.

Switch out your other juices in your fridge and make sure you have this on on hand.

 

And there is your fall guide to enjoying Nova Scotia blueberry drinks. There is something everyone can enjoy on this list, while highlighting the amazing Nova Scotian wild blueberry products.

Wild Blueberry Brie

 

Wild Blueberry Brie

Thanksgiving is coming up and we are all looking for ideas on what to make/bring. This recipe is going to highlight a super delicious, easy-to-make appetizer that you can stun your guests with.
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Course Appetizer

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tbsp Galloping Cow WIld Blueberry Pepper Spread
  • pinch Black Pepper
  • pinch Rosemary
  • Crackers

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400°
  • Put your brie on a pan and spread Galloping Cows Wild Blueberry Pepper spread over, and add rosemary leaves
  • Bake brie for around 10 minutes
  • Take out let cool for 1-2 minutes, then add to your charcuterie board with crackers
Keyword appetizer, brie, healthy eats, wild blueberry

 

Canadian Wild Blueberries: What Happens to the Wild Blueberry?

If you’re like us, you’re probably curious about how harvest season looks for wild blueberry producers. When farmers are harvesting corn, wheat, oats or canola, they use combines with specific headers (and settings) for each type of crop. Apple pickers are often hired for harvest to hand pick apples, careful to not bruise them, and then they are sorted by shape, size and quality. Other berries are harvested by shaking the branches and using a hand held rake for the stragglers, allowing the fruit to drop to the ground which is covered with a tarp. 

How are Canadian Wild Blueberries Harvested?

 

While the wild blueberry used to be picked by hand or by using a small, hand-held rake, harvest has significantly changed for many producers over the last couple of decades. 90-95% of growers now use a mechanical harvester which is mounted to a tractor. These harvesters have rotating rakes that pull the berries from the branches, drop them onto a belt, and then drops them into large totes. 

             

 

Fact: Each tote can hold around 300 pounds of berries

 

Approximately only 1-2% of wild blueberry producers still use the more traditional method of hand-raking the wild blueberries off of the brush. There are also smaller mechanical harvesters, as well. These can be pushed, or have push rakes that are mounted onto smaller machines, and are often used on smaller farms. 

What Happens after They Are Picked?

 

Depending on the size of operation, there are different ways that producers go about handling their produce for Individual Quick Freezing (IQF). Most producers ensure that once the totes have been filled, they are loaded onto a flatbed trailer and brought to a receiving station. Here, they are weighed and loaded into a transport truck. These trucks will bring the berries to the processing plant, where they go through a series of events to prepare them for the individual quick freezing process. Note: some producers skip the flatbed trailer all together and load their berries directly into the transport truck for the delivery to the processing station. 

 

Once the berries arrive at the processing plant, they are cleaned in by going through a blower and several different water baths. To ensure quality control, they are sorted by using lasers, as well as other techniques. Once the berries have been sorted and cleaned, each and every wild blueberry is individually quick frozen. There are several different processes that the berries will then go through, depending on the processing plant, what the berries are being used for, and where they are going. In the end, the berries are then packaged and prepared to ship. For berries that are sold in the freezer section in your grocery store, most of the berries are packaged into 600 gram and 2 kilogram bags or containers. The vast majority of Canadian wild blueberries, however, are exported out of the country! 

Did you know that Japan uses wild blueberries primarily in yogurts and jams, while Germany will use Canadian wild blueberries most often in glass jars! 

What about Fresh Wild Blueberries?

 

Because fresh wild blueberries do not have a long shelf life, they are most often sold as frozen berries. But if you’re in an area during wild blueberry harvest, and you happen to get your hands on some of those small blue gems, we highly recommend doing so! The process of harvest-to-table of fresh wild blueberries is a little different. 

Once the berries are picked, they are then brought back to the shop on the local farm. They go through a similar process as their frozen counterparts, with a giant fan blowing out the debris. Then they go over a sizing belt which helps sort the berries by size and ripeness, a tilter belt that removes clusters, and then over a picking belt where workers can sort through the fruit to pull the bad ones out (note: some operations also have started using lasers to help with this sorting process). Boxes are then packed in several sizes, including pint, 5lb and 10lbs. You can find these blueberries fresh at farm markets, some local grocery stores, or roadside stands. The farms that have their own processors will often also freeze their berries, and sell them to consumers well after the harvest is over!  

We are so thankful for those who manage and harvest Canadian wild blueberries! We love those tangy little berries that are unique to our part of the world, and how versatile they are. It’s wonderful being able to use them in all types of food, throughout the year (thanks to IQF), and even other things like DIY paint and soap. 

 

What do you think? Did you know this is how the mighty wild blueberry was harvested and processed? Were there any surprises? Let us know in the comments!

Savoury Wild Blueberry and Pancetta Flatbread Pizza

Savoury Wild Blueberry & Pancetta Flatbread Pizza

The Kilted Chef, Chef Alain Bosse
Looking for a vibrant and delicious dish that won't take hours in the kitchen? This savoury wild blueberry and pancetta flatbread pizza checks all the boxes! Creating an upscale dish that will appeal to nearly everyone's taste buds in only 30 minutes while using fresh and locally sourced ingredients? You've come to the right place!
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 flatbread of your choice ie. naan
  • ½ cup diced pancetta
  • 24 basil leaves
  • ½ cup Van Dyks wild blueberry Juice
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries divided
  • 4 oz feta
  • 2 green onions diced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 450°F.
  • Place the diced pancetta into a saute pan, along with half of the basil leaves. Fry until the pancetta is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta and basil. Reserve the basil-infused drippings from the pan.
  • Prepare the reduction by combining the balsamic vinegar, the wild blueberry juice, the maple syrup and ½ cup of wild blueberries. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the syrup coats the back of a spoon.
  • Brush the flatbread with the basil-infused oil, top with the pancetta, and the remaining half cup of wild blueberries, green onions and crumbled feta. Chiffonade the remaining basil and add to the top as well.
  • Place in a 450°F oven until the flatbread begins to crisp and the cheese is warm. Remove from the oven, drizzle with the reduction, and garnish with the reserved crisp basil leaves.
Keyword dinner, flatbread, pizza, wild blueberry

U-Pick Wild Blueberries in the Maritimes

With the summer truckin’ on, we are all excitedly anticipating the wild blueberry season, which usually starts sometime in August, and goes through until September (depending on the year)! There’s nothing that quite beats the taste of fresh wild blueberries, straight from the shrub, right? While you can often find these blue gems on your adventures down trails and paths, there are also several U-Picks throughout the maritimes! 

Nova Scotia

Wild Blueberry U-Pick

Location: 1 km north on the Upper Clyde Road Clyde River, NS, Canada
Phone: (902) 637-8322
Check out their website HERE

 

Glenhill Berry Farm

Location: Hwy #7, North Lochaber, NS
Phone: 902-783-2787 or Email: staylor@stfx.ca.
You can find more information HERE

 

BeeCee Farms Wild Blueberries

Location: 172 New France, Afton Rd. Antigonish, NS
Phone: (902) 863-2047
Watch for updates and information HERE

 

 

Wild Blueberry Health Benefits

 

New Brunswick

Trueman Blueberry Farms

Location: 255 Etter Ridge Road, Aulac Sackville, NB
Phone: (506) 364-7458
Check out their website HERE

 

Sunset U-Pick

Location: 49 Ferris street, Fredericton, NB
Phone: 506-459-3183
To learn more about Sunset U-Pick, click HERE

 

Michel Ross

Location: 3252 Route 135, Trudel, NB
Phone: 506-764-3533
There is no website for this farm, so you’ll want to call for all the updates!

Prince Edward Island

Blue Acre Farms 

Location: 15623 Route 14 Tignish, PE
Phone: (902) 882-3410
To watch for updates and get more information, click HERE

 

The McCardle’s Berry Patch

Location: 11860 St Peters Rd Tracadie Cross PE
Phone: (902) 676-2945
Check out their page for more information! You can find it HERE

 

Woodingtons Blueberry U-Pick

Location: 539 Route 104 Kensington, PE
Phone: (902) 836-5305
Click the link HERE to find out more information! 

 

 

Strawberries are great, apples are delicious, and picking your own pumpkin can be a blast. But we think there’s nothing quite like picking a bucket full of fresh wild blueberries! 

 

Have another u-pick in mind that you don’t see listed here? Drop a comment below and help us update this list! 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Cake with Wild Blueberry Sauce and Citrus Buttercream

Lemon Cake with Wild Blueberry Sauce and Citrus Buttercream

Chef Alain Bosse (The Kilted Chef)
Nothing short of zesty and refreshing, this lemon cake is perfect for your next summer bash. With a juicy wild blueberry sauce, and topped with a citrus buttercream, it's sure to be the star of the show whenever you bring it out!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

Wild Blueberry Sauce

  • 2 cups wild blueberries frozen
  • 1 lemon juice
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 package Knox gelatin
  • ½ cup wild blueberry juice (or water)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 tbsp butter

Lemon Cake

  • 5 egg whites
  • 2 lemons zest
  • 1 lemon juice
  • ¾ cup room temperature butter
  • cups sugar
  • cups cake flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk

Citrus Buttercream

  • 1 cup room temperature butter
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 lemon juice
  • 5 cups icing sugar

Instructions
 

Wild Blueberry Sauce

  • Sprinkle gelatin over the wild blueberry juice. Set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Combine the frozen wild blueberries, sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium, add gelatin mixture, and cook for 1 minute.
  • Finish with the almond extract, lemon zest and butter.
  • Set aside to cool.

Lemon Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Combine egg whites with lemon zest and juice. Set aside.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together. Scrape down the sides and add in the other dry ingredients.
  • Mix until they start to come together, then slowly add in egg whites.
  • Once egg whites have been incorporated, beat in buttermilk. Divide between two prepared 9 inch pans.
  • Place pans in preheated oven at 350°F and bake for 25 minutes. The cake will be quite light on top.

Citrus Buttercream

  • Place butter and salt in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and mixed until combined.
  • Add icing sugar one cup at a time until the buttercream is smooth.

To Assemble

  • Place one of the cakes onto a cake tray. Anchor in place with a tab of buttercream.
  • Put ½ of the buttercream into a piping bag and pipe a ring around the top of the cake. Place the cooled wild blueberry filling inside the ring.
  • Top with second cake. Use the remainder of the icing to frost the cake.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword baked treats, dessert, wild blueberry