For 77 years, North Carolina blueberries have been prized as the very best available. Our blueberries are sweet in taste, rich in nutrients and antioxidants. They are a super fruit with splendid flavor! Whether you enjoy your blueberries fresh from the market or frozen for later use, North Carolina blueberries provide a sweet southern taste year-round. Nothing could be finer than North Carolina blueberries.

Compact, tasty, and packed with health supporting nutrients, blueberries rank as one of nature's super foods. North Carolina Blueberry season is NOW and in high gear. Get 'em while they're fresh and plentiful.

Thirty years ago, Ralph and Maxine Gwaltney owned a blueberry farm in Banner Elk. The couple let visitors come right off the parkway and pick a basket of their own. As a special resource, they published a blueberry recipe booklet. The following three recipes were included in the Gwaltney's recipe booklet. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pudding

Gwaltney Blueberry Farm

4 cups blueberries

� cup white sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup flour

� teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed into cup

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

� cup oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350�. Place berries in a deep 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle the white sugar and lemon juice over them. Mix flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar together in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. When mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, mix in oatmeal. Spread on top of berries. Bake 35-40 minutes or until top is nicely browned, berries soft, and juice bubbling.

Yield: 6-8 serving.

Blueberry Cornbread

Gwaltney Blueberry Farm

1& 1/3cups yellow cornmeal, preferable stone ground

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

� teaspoon salt

1� cups blueberries, rinsed, and rolled on towel to dry

2 eggs

1 cup milk

� cup unsalted butter, melted

Heat oven to 400�. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or 12-cup muffin tin. Sift cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Add blueberries and toss gently.

Beat eggs in small bowl until frothy; beat in milk, then melted butter. Add to dry ingredients, mixing quickly with spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix.

Spoon batter in prepared baking pan, smoothing surface or divide evenly among muffin cups. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20-25 minutes for muffins. Serve hot.

Leftover bread or muffins can be stored, wrapped tightly in foil at room temperature for a day or so. To re-warm, preheat oven to 300�. Wrap in foil and place in oven for 30 minutes.

Blueberry Syrup

Gwaltney Blueberry Farm

1 pint blueberries, rinsed and drained

1� cups water

3 cups sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

2-4 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

Puree berries in a blender, adding some of the water if more liquid is needed. Combine blueberries, remaining water and sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until liquid comes to a boil. Lower temperature and simmer, uncovered about 10 minutes until the mixture is translucent. Remove pan from heat. Press blueberry mixture through a strainer with the back of a spoon. Add corn syrup and stir. If desired, add lemon juice

to taste. Best when served hot over pancakes, pound cake, or ice cream.

Yield: about 4 cups

Now for your typical but delicious blueberry recipes perfected by North Carolina moms from across the state; here are just a few.

Mom's Blueberry Cobbler

Erica Elizabeth Hall, Kings Mountain

8 cups blueberries

1�-2 cups sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)

� cup all-purpose flour

� teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

� cup chopped pecans, toasted

Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Stir together the berries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, water, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts. Reduce heat to low. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon one-half of the blueberry mixture into a lightly greased 8-inch square baking pan. Roll 1 pie crust to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut into an 8-inch square. Place over the blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 450� for 10 minutes.

Spoon remaining one-half of blueberry mixture over the baked crust. Roll the remaining pie crust to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, and cut into 1-inch strips. Arrange the strips in a lattice design over the blueberry mixture. Bake at 450� for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Ole Timey Blueberry Cake

Betty Williams, Concord

� cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs separated

1 teaspoon vanilla

1� cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

� teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

2 sprinkles cinnamon

1� cups blueberries

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add well-beaten egg yolks and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour half of mixture into lightly sprayed or greased oblong baking dish cover with blueberries and then remaining batter. Bake 350� until

golden brown 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven cut into squares. Options sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or add a scoop of ice cream.

Blueberry Crisp

JoAnn Wharton, Cary

3 cups blueberries

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

� cup all-purpose flour

� cup quick cooking oats

1/3 cup butter softened

� teaspoon ground cinnamon

� teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375�. Arrange blueberries in an ungreased square baking dish, 8-inch x 8-inch x 2-inch. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix brown sugar, flour, oats, butter, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle on top. Bake until topping is light brown and blueberry juice is hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

You never knew healthy eating could be so sweet!  Quit singing the blues and start eating em!

Click Here to print out all 6 recipes.