BLUEBERRIES FOR WINTER PLEASURE

Here's how simple it is to have flavorful, local, nutritious blueberries all winter long. Buy a nice flat or half flat at a farmers market or local farm stand. At home, take a handful at a time, and check for stems or squished berries. I sort them into a 2 cup glass measure, because it's perfect for the next step. When the cup is full, just pour them into a 1 quart freezer bag with a zip top. No rinsing, no individual freezing on cookie sheets. Just fold the air out gently, seal, and put them in the freezer.

When January rolls around, and you need some summer flavor and sunshine nutrients, just pour some of the frozen berries into a strainer and rinse with warm water. They should be loose in the bag, so you can just take the amount you need. I usually set the strainer into a bowl of warm water for barely a minute, then rinse again with cool water. Berries for your cereal or yogurt or ice cream or apple crisp or whatever! Yum!

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