Amy Mead (left) County Extension Director from Brunswick County and Bill Cline, Extension Horticulture Specialist with NC State Extension and NC State giving instructions to the blueberry pickers at the NC State Horticultural Crops Research State in Castle Hayne.

We’ve been picking blueberries for a cause and over 1250 pounds of blueberries were given to the Wilmington branch of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. I am so proud of the staff of the NC Cooperative Extension Service along with our Master Gardener Volunteers, Extension Master Food Volunteers, 4-H members and their families from Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover Counties for their efforts. It was hot out there and picking blueberries is hard work. So, “good job” to all who participated.

These blueberries were grown at the NC State Horticulture crops Research Farm in Castle Hayne. This research station is just one of 18 across the state where scientists and students work to test research in real world situations. The station in Castle Hayne is working to develop new blueberry varieties and study and improve the health and nutritional value of blueberries. Blueberries bring in over $55 million to North Carolina farmers, making our state among the nation’s top 10 in blueberry production.

One of the two groups of gleaning volunteers.

The blueberries grown at the research station are not sold, so they would have gone to waste (or the birds and the bears) if not picked. Approximately 100 staff and volunteers participated in the two days of gleaning. This is the fourth year that the Extension office teams from here in Southeastern NC have organized the gleaning session.

Blueberries not only taste great, they’re good for you. Blueberries have great nutritional value. They provide a lot of nutrients for the calories. A
1/2-cup serving of blueberries has 25% of the recommended daily value for
vitamin C, 3 grams of dietary fiber and numerous other disease-fighting
nutrients all for just 40 calories! According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), blueberries rank near the top when it comes to
antioxidant activity per serving. Antioxidants work to neutralize free
radicals — unstable molecules linked to the development of cancer,
cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as
Alzheimer’s. Substances in blueberries called polyphenols, specifically the
anthocyanins that give the fruit its blue color, are the major contributors to
this antioxidant activity.

Blueberries are in season here in NC from mid-May through July. When
purchasing fresh blueberries, look for firm, plump, dry berries with smooth
skins and a silvery sheen. Size doesn’t matter—but color does. Reddish
berries aren’t ripe. Blueberries will keep stored in the refrigerator for about
10 days. Wash them just before eating.

If you’re looking for something different to do with blueberries this year,
you might want to try this Blueberry Crisp recipe courtesy of FoodHero.org
at Oregon State University Extension. This is a low-sugar dessert made with
whole-grain oats, cinnamon and sweet berries. Unlike other crisps, this
recipe offers more berries than topping. You can make it with fresh or
frozen berries. Canned blueberries or peaches could be used, too (just be
sure to drain the liquid first from canned fruit.) This recipe would also
work with other fresh fruits such as blackberries, raspberries or cherries.

Blueberry Crisp

• 3 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
• 2 teaspoons margarine or butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats

1.  Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Put the fresh or frozen blueberries in a 9-inch pie plate or an 8×8-
   inch baking dish.
4. In a small bowl, use a fork to mix butter or margarine, flour, sugar,
   oats and cinnamon.
5. Sprinkle oat mixture over the blueberries.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes. Enjoy while warm!
7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours

Makes 4 servings, ½ cup each with 150 calories per serving. Each serving
provides 15 grams of total sugar but only three of these comes from added
sugars. It also has 4 grams of fiber. ENJOY!

loading the gleaned blueberries to take to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. These berries are then distributed to food pantries in the five counties in Southeastern NC: Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover and Pender.

volunteers picking

Syracuse is a Family and Consumer Science team member and can be
reached at N.C. Cooperative Extension, Brunswick County Center 910-253-
2610