At the peak of summer, our freezer is often so abundant with ice pops there’s little room for much else. They’re the ultimate warm weather treat that goes over big time with grown-ups and kids alike. And when it comes time to entertain, frozen sweets on a stick are an easy fix, since no forks, knives or plates are required.
In a pinch, I’ll pick up store-bought pops, but homemade ones tend to be better tasting and better for you. Case in point are these Wild Blueberry Coconut Yogurt Pops. The recipe is simple, with just four little ingredients, but the end result is cool, creamy and crazy good.
One big upside to these icy treats is that the bright beautiful color comes not from artificial food dye, as is the case with many store-bought pops. Instead, that blue hue comes from the all-natural pigment in Wild Blueberries. Indeed, the same anthocyanins that lend the pretty marbled effect also deliver a nutritious dose of antioxidants. And even though fresh cultivated berries may be available in the summer, there’s meaningful evidence that opting for frozen Wild Blueberries is a wiser way to go. They have double the antioxidant capacity of conventional blueberries and one-third less sugar.
The method for making these pops is easy. First, be sure to take a gander at your yogurt ingredients before buying, settling on one free of anything artificial and lower on the sugar scale. Next, simmer the frozen Wild Blueberries and maple syrup together until reduced to a juicy blend. Lastly, gently swirl the Wild Blueberry syrup into the coconut yogurt, pour into pop molds, and freeze.
Coconut and Wild Blueberries make a magical match in these creamy froyo treats. They deliver big time in the taste category, all at under 100 calories a pop.
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season and what better way to celebrate than with a delicious backyard barbeque or picnic. Make it patriotic and please remember to set aside time to honor all the brave men and women who have fought for our country. For all the red, white and blue themed events being planned, here are four recipes featuring one of the most remarkable native blue fruits – Wild Blueberries.
Small Bites: This delicious Wild Blueberry, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Naan Pizza makes for a great appetizer when you cut it into bite-sized pieces. Made with fresh tomatoes, goat cheese, and Wild Blueberries, the sweet and savory flavors combine to deliver the taste of summer all in one bite.
Drink to Summer: Besides its gorgeous color and delicious summer vibe, this Wild Blueberry Green Tea Mojito is loaded with health benefits. Wild Blueberries contain anthocyanins, plant compounds that give them their deep purple color and powerful antioxidant capacity. Plenty of research suggests that anthocyanins can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and cancer. Plants that produce anthocyanins do so to protect themselves against environmental stressors, like temperature shifts and UV light (hello, natural sunscreen!).
Fire Up the Grill: Summer means it’s finally grilling season. Plain old burgers and hot dogs are cookout staples, but they can get a little boring. These Wild Blueberry & Spinach Turkey Burgers will jazz things up on the grill and impress your guests. They’re moist and juicy thanks to the spinach, and the sweet Wild Blueberries perfectly complement the salty bacon and feta.
Patriotic Desserts: At an outdoor picnic or barbeque, ice cream sandwiches are easy grab-and-go treats! These Wild Blueberry ‘Whoopie Pie’ Ice Cream Sandwiches are out-of-this-world and combine two very classic American desserts – cookies and ice cream. To make them festive and patriotic, make red velvet cookies using a simple box recipe, grab your favorite vanilla ice cream and then add a layer of frozen Wild Blueberries to the outside edges to get that red, white and blue look.
As we prepare for this weekend’s celebration, all of us here at Wild Blueberries want to say a special thank you to the families remembering fallen heroes.
Summer weather is almost here, and that means it’s time to break out the lawn chairs, sunglasses, and refreshing drinks. I’m all about sipping something fruity when it’s warm outside, and my Wild Blueberry Green Tea Mojito is the perfect summertime drink!
This fresh and tasty Mojito is packed with summery flavor – fruity Wild Blueberries, refreshing iced green tea, tangy lime, and tons of fresh mint. Plus, it’s super simple to make! Just muddle together Wild Blueberries and fresh mint leaves, then stir in the lime juice and brewed green tea with honey. I wouldn’t shy away from adding in a shot of rum, either…but that’s your choice!
Besides it’s gorgeous color and delicious summer vibe, this drink is loaded with health benefits, too. Wild Blueberries contain anthocyanins, plant compounds that give them their deep purple color and powerful antioxidant capacity.
Plenty of research suggests that anthocyanins can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and cancer. Plants that produce anthocyanins do so to protect themselves against environmental stressors, like temperature shifts and UV light (hello, natural sunscreen!). Since Wild Blueberries first started growing in harsh climates in Maine and Canada nearly 10,000 years ago, they needed to arm themselves with lots of anthocyanins for protection, which is why Wild Blueberries have twice the antioxidant capacity of regular blueberries!
The best part of all the antioxidant capacity in Wild Blueberries is that it translates into anti-inflammatory health benefits (and delicious drinks!) for you.
This fruity Wild Blueberry drink takes its antioxidant benefits even higher by including green tea. Green tea contains a different type of antioxidant called catechins, which also help reduce cardiovascular risk and inflammation.
Are you ready to start sipping on this super refreshing and delicious anti-inflammatory drink? I sure am! Grab the full recipe below.
If the Mom in your life is always on the go, keeping track of school, work and play schedules, cleaning up the “not me” messes, and other parenting tasks, make sure you take some time to say, “Thank you!” this Mother’s Day. What better way to do that than by preparing her a delicious and healthy dinner. Make it a fun family affair and get the kids involved. You’ll make some special memories along the way, too. To help you get started, we’ve pulled a few of our favorite recipes from some of our most creative health and nutrition food bloggers.
All of these recipes include frozen Wild Blueberries. These tiny, potent berries aren’t just for muffins and pies. They’re also delicious in appetizers, entrees, and cocktails. Plus, Wild Blueberries provide twice the antioxidant capacity of traditional blueberries and are considered one of the top anti-inflammatory fruits. These antioxidant-rich super berries are filled with bioactive phytonutrients that give them their deep blue color, which can protect against inflammation, thought to be a leading factor in brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and other diseases. What makes Wild Blueberries so powerful is that they combat stress in the wild and harsh northern climate of Maine by producing phytochemicals and anthocyanins to protect themselves. It’s these naturally occurring compounds that help protect us from inflammation and chronic disease when we eat them. And the best thing about Wild Blueberries is that you don’t have to wait until summer to enjoy them. You can find them in the frozen fruit aisle supermarket all year long.
Cocktail.
Start the evening off right and before you and the kids get busy in the kitchen, make Mom this cocktail – if she doesn’t drink alcohol, leave out the bourbon for the tastiest mocktail she’s ever had. The combination of Wild Blueberries, mint and lemon are delicious and refreshing in this Wild Blueberry Bourbon Smash. The splash of seltzer gives it just enough fizz to impress Mom with your mixology skills. And honestly, the bourbon is an excellent addition to this recipe but can be substituted for another spirit or left out, and it will STILL be delicious.
Appetizer.
After Mom has enjoyed a few sips of her Wild Blueberry Smash, continue to impress her taste buds with these Wild Blueberry Brie Pastry Bites. Once you serve this tasty appetizer, it will look like you’ve been working hard in the kitchen all day, but this recipe is incredibly easy to make. The kids can help fill each of the phyllo cups with brie and top ‘em off with the Wild Blueberry sauce. You’ll see her smile as soon as she takes a bite and enjoys the crunch of the phyllo shell, the creaminess of the warm brie and the pop of sweet and tart flavor from the Wild Blueberries.
Salad.
By now, Mom’s Mother’s Day dinner should be coming together nicely. To keep it simple, serve a salad alongside your main course! Have the kids create a simple green salad with mixed baby greens like spinach and arugula, include some cucumbers, tomatoes and any other items that Mom loves in her salad. Then WOW her with a homemade dressing. Don’t panic! Homemade dressing is incredibly easy, and this Wild Blueberry Balsamic Dressing only has six ingredients – most of which you’re likely to have in your pantry already. Just blend everything together and then drizzle over the top of Mom’s salad. You may catch her licking the salad plate but hey, don’t judge! She works hard, and you’ll probably want to do the same.
Entreé.
Show off your mad grillin’ skills and make this Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs with Wild Blueberry Barbecue Sauce recipe as your main course. Mom will love the shrimp and pepper combination glazed in the homemade barbeque sauce. It’s sure to be the most memorable meal and Mother’s Day of all time – no pressure. If Mom’s not into shrimp, cubed chicken, tofu or any other protein will work so long as it can be skewered – adjust cook time accordingly. The kids can help by cutting up the peppers and putting all the items on the skewers.
Dessert.
Now that dinner is over take some time to hang out and make some Mother’s Day memories with the entire family. (HINT: Make these Mini Wild Blueberry Cream Pies ahead of time. They freeze nicely in an airtight container.) No baking is required for this recipe! Dates, nuts, and oats make the tasty crust, and little fingers are perfect for pressing them into the bottom of each cupcake liner. As the kids spoon in the delicious Wild Blueberry filling keep an eye on them to make sure enough ends up in the cupcake pan and not all in their tummies. Freeze for 10 to 15 minutes, or longer in an airtight container. It’s the perfect ending to celebrate Mother’s Day.
The Wild Blueberry team is always on the lookout for delicious new products that feature our beloved berry. Because more and more products are being made with Wild Blueberries, we want to share our fabulous finds with you.
FIORE is a Maine-based company and its name means “the blossoming flower” in Italian. The company opened its doors with its first year-round location in Bar Harbor in July 2009, creating a unique place for chefs, home cooks and foodie lovers – a tasting room for extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) and aged balsamic vinegars. Today, FIORE has grown to have three additional freestanding tasting rooms in Maine, including Rockland, Freeport, and Brunswick, and tasting bars at The Vault in Lewiston and Tiller & Rye in Brewer. Additionally, there are 15 authorized resellers in the Northeast in which FIORE has a selection of pre-bottled product for sale:
Acadia Provisions, Ellsworth
Aroostook Beef Company, Fort Kent
Cellardoor Winery at the Point, Thompson’s Point/Portland
Cellardoor Winery, Lincolnville
Dot’s, Lincolnville Beach
Fork & Spoon, Bangor
Island Spirits, Vinalhaven
Jess’s Market, Rockland
Maine Bay & Berry Co., State College, Penn.
Mixed Up Kitchen, Farmington
North Haven Grocery, North Haven
Pietree Orchard, Sweden
Riverside Butcher Co., Damariscotta
The Country Co-op & Farm Store, Houlton
Wiggin’s Meat Market – Butcher, Rockland
FIORE imports its EVOO from all over the world and to ensure ultimate freshness, their team chases the crush, showcasing the highest quality cultivars from regions growing, harvesting and crushing olives each season. From Italy to Greece, Tunisia to Portugal, Spain and California in the northern hemisphere then from Chile and Peru to Australia and South Africa in the southern hemisphere, to FIORE’s tasting rooms stores within six weeks of when the olives are picked. Plus, the freshness of the first-crush EVOO in its stores enable consumers to benefit from the numerous attributes of health first-hand – rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that promote health and fight disease.
We recently stopped by the store in Brunswick, Maine. What an incredible experience. If you get the chance you should visit a tasting location. After our amazing tasting experience, we reached out for some recipes featuring their Maine Wild Blueberry Reserve Balsamic Vinegar. Check out these two amazing recipes that will add a little WILD to your breakfast and happy hour.
Combine FIORE Blood Orange Olive Oil & honey in a bowl and microwave for one (1) minute, then stir. Add vanilla, cinnamon, and FIORE Maine Wild Blueberry Reserve Balsamic to the oil and honey mixture. Stir and put aside.
In a separate bowl, mix oats, nuts, coconut, and raisins. Add the oil and the balsamic mixture from the first bowl and mix until dry ingredients are coated.
Lastly, spread the combined mixture onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow granola to cool. Once it has reached the desired temperature, remove from baking sheet and enjoy! Store leftover granola in an airtight container or bag.
It’s finally spring, which means salad season has arrived. Before you find yourself in a rut – add some new flavors and combinations to enjoy this year. Adding frozen Wild Blueberries, which have twice the antioxidants of ordinary blueberries, will make your tasty seasonal green creations nutrient and antioxidant-rich. Antioxidants have been shown to protect against a variety of diseases including heart and brain disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. These health benefits are a result of Wild Blueberries’ high concentrations of phytonutrients, namely anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant compounds that give Wild Blueberries their deep rich blue-purple hue and powerful antioxidant capacity. Their power may be because plants that produce anthocyanins do so as a protective mechanism against environmental stressors, such as ultraviolet light, cold temperatures, and drought. This production of anthocyanins in roots, stems, and especially leaf tissues is believed to provide resistance against these environmental hazards.
Take the Wild Blueberry as an example. Wild Blueberries emerged on the desolate plain, aptly called The Barrens of Maine, Eastern Canada, and Quebec, following the retreat of the glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. Wild Blueberries survive in thin, acidic, glacial soils and thrive in cold, harsh climates. A wild plant like Wild Blueberries can’t just get up and walk away when confronted with an environmental stressor. Instead, it has evolved over thousands of years to combat stress by producing powerful phytochemicals to protect itself. These are the same natural plant compounds that protect us from inflammation and chronic disease when we eat wild foods.
Ready to start creating some delicious Wild Blue and Green combinations? Here are three easy salads that go beyond the basic greens that will help you eat healthier. And, they may even WOW your friends and family at the next picnic potluck.
Move over potato salad, there’s a new favorite in town. If you enjoy a crunchy salad, this Wild Blueberry Zoodle Bowl recipe created by Danielle Omar of Food Confidence is your new go-to. Made with spiralized zucchini instead of pasta, this salad offers a fresh and light option that includes diced jicama, grilled corn, and cherry tomatoes. Adding the frozen Wild Blueberries give a pop of sweet and tart flavor to this savory salad.
Photo credit: Vermont Creamery
This fantastic salad comes from our friends over at Vermont Creamery. They’ve recently created a Wild Blueberry, Lemon & Thyme Fresh Goat Cheese that is out of this world. While we’d eat an entire log of this cheese without the salad, that’s probably NOT the best choice. Use your favorite greens, cucumbers and some toasted almonds for crunch to keep the salad simple and let the flavor of the goat cheese shine. If you’re looking for a vinaigrette to compliment this salad, check out our Wild Blueberry Vinaigrette later in this post.
If you prefer grains, like quinoa or farro, over orzo, you can easily substitute them in this Wild Blueberry Orzo with Asparagus recipe. Not only do the Wild Blueberries add an unexpected pop of flavor in this salad, it also gives it a gorgeous purple color. Danielle Omar of Food Confidence created this recipe as her potluck and picnic go-to and we can see why! The dressing is simple and includes Wild Blueberries to make sure each bite gives you antioxidant power. Honestly, the dressing is so good that you’ll want to use it on everything, not just this salad!
Skip the dressing aisle next time you’re at the supermarket and make your own. It’s super easy, we promise! Homemade dressing is full of so much more flavor and they keep rather well, too. Give your boring salad new life with this tasty and delightful Wild Blueberry Vinaigrette. It will have you looking forward to lunchtime. This recipe is one of our all-time favorites, making it a staple during salad season.
Spring is without a doubt one of the busiest times for families, and my house is no different! As the weather gets warmer, my focus shifts to spending as many daylight hours outside rather than in the kitchen, and that means super quick dinner meals are in order.
This Wild Blueberry Balsamic Glazed Shrimp Stir Fry fits the bill perfectly and has been on repeat in my house this spring. It’s an easy one-pan meal that doesn’t skimp on flavor!
One-pan meals are all the rage right now and let me tell you, it’s a trend I can get behind. I’m a huge fan of easy recipes that don’t leave me with tons of dishes to clean up, aren’t you? I also love that one-pan cooking never leaves you stuck with boring one-note meals. It’s super easy to layer on flavor during the cooking process with the taste-and-season-as-you-go technique.
This one-pan stir-fry is sure to get some oohs and ahhs with its gorgeous purple-blue color from the Wild Blueberries, interesting textures, and a sweet-tangy sauce that you’ll want to use on literally everything. Combining Balsamic vinegar with Wild Blueberries provides a fruity sweetness that’s not only delicious but also unexpected.
Because Wild Blueberries have twice the antioxidant content of regular blueberries and more antioxidant power than many other fruits and veggies, I always have a bag at the ready in my freezer. Since I love to make sure my meals are super nutritious, pairing Wild Blueberries with antioxidant-rich broccoli upgrades this standard stir fry into a nutrition powerhouse! Once you add in the protein-rich shrimp, you’ve got yourself the perfect healthy meal.
Today is the first day of Spring. For those of us here in the Northeast, spring is a welcome sight after a long, cold and snowy winter. It brings with its color, rebirth, and joy. Flowers begin to emerge from the earth, baby animals are born on local farms, and as the weather warms, smiling faces become even more abundant. With the advent of spring, Easter is not far away. In fact, it’s just around the corner and arriving on the early side this year. That means it is time to start planning your menu for your gathering for family and friends. Try these five savory and sweet Wild Blueberry recipes to make your menu extra special this year.
Wild Blueberry Crumb Cake
If you’re visiting a friend or family member for Easter, don’t’ arrive empty-handed! Crumb cake is an anytime-of-day delight. It’s perfect with coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon, or as a delicious dessert. This Wild Blueberry Crumb Cake recipe adds a layer of antioxidant-rich Wild Blueberries in the cake’s center so that each bite is bursting with flavor. Plus, this recipe is low in sugar and super simple to make using healthy, whole food ingredients.
Wild Blueberry & Ricotta Stuffed French Toast This delicious Wild Blueberry & Ricotta Stuffed French Toast is perfect for any family brunch. One of the great things about this recipe besides its incredible taste is that you can prepare it the night before, and enjoy time with your guests while it bakes the following morning. The brioche makes it light and fluffy, and adding Wild Blueberries into the layers gives each bite a pop of flavor. Finish it off with a drizzle of Wild Blueberry syrup to add a little something special.
Lamb Skewers with Wild Blueberry Zucchini Salsa If you’re creating a more traditional Easter feast of lamb, try this easy to make zesty Lamb Skewers with Wild Blueberry Zucchini Salsa recipe. The salsa combines Wild Blueberries and zucchini and just enough cayenne pepper to give it a kick that compliments the flavor of the lamb. Perfect for using lollipop lamb chips or lamb tenderloin. Not into lamb? Make the sweet and tangy salsa and enjoyed with any other roast you may have up your sleeve.
Savory Lemony Wild Blueberry Sauce Looking for a great sauce for your chicken or fish? This savory Lemony Wild Blueberry Sauce is the perfect addition, and it only takes about ten minutes to prepare. The combo of lemon, Wild Blueberries, ginger and a hint of thyme will remind everyone that spring is on its way.
Wild Blueberry Fool This Wild Blueberry Fool recipe is an easy to make dessert that delivers a perfect ending to any meal. Modeled after a classic English dessert, this recipe has been updated so it’s healthier and contains less sugar. Blending frozen Wild Blueberries into the recipe gives this simple dessert an intense Wild Blueberry flavor and the Greek yogurt adds a little tang. Plus, the antioxidant-rich Wild Blueberries add a gorgeous color that’s perfect for welcoming spring.
Happy March! Did you know that March is both National Nutrition Month and Frozen Food Month?! To celebrate, I’m sharing the recipe for these Matcha Wild Blueberry Bran Muffins that are packed with antioxidants, whole grains, fiber, and more, and make use of my favorite frozen fruit: Wild Blueberries.
Wild Blueberries are perfect for celebrating National Nutrition Month, because they’re chock full of healthy antioxidants that have been shown to protect against a variety of diseases including heart and brain disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. These health benefits are a result of Wild Blueberries’ high concentrations of phytonutrients, namely anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins give Wild Blueberries their rich purple color as well as their powerful antioxidant benefits. And according to one study, freezing Wild Blueberries makes them even healthier! The ice crystals that form during freezing disrupt the structure of the plant tissue, making the anthocyanins more available for our bodies to use. You know how frozen Wild Blueberries leach their bright color when thawed? That’s because the freezing process breaks down the cells that hold anthocyanins, which are concentrated in the skin. Since the berries are preserved by being frozen, all of those anthocyanins are captured in the berry until they’re thawed, when the natural leaching process releases the anthocyanins, making them super easy for our body to access.
The fact that Wild Blueberries are even more beneficial after being frozen is great news, considering 99% of the crop is frozen. Wild Blueberries are smaller than regular blueberries, meaning there’s more surface area of antioxidant-rich skin, so they’re often frozen to preserve their antioxidant goodness at its peak.
Want to know what makes these muffins super healthy? I’ve combined Wild Blueberries with another antioxidant-rich ingredient: matcha green tea. I love adding matcha to baked goods for an extra nutritional boost and earthy flavor. Matcha is high in a different type of phytonutrient called catechins. Catechins are antioxidant compounds associated with reduced body fat, improved heart health, brain health, and more.
In addition to the antioxidant goodness of matcha and Wild Blueberries, these muffins are a great source of insoluble fiber, thanks to the wheat bran. They make the perfect grab-and-go breakfast to keep you full all morning long or a hearty snack to hold you over until lunch. Plus, they’re deliciously moist and sweet enough. Here’s the full recipe!
You may remember the saying, “Fresh is best.” You might even still believe it! But thanks to a growing body of research on the nutrition benefits of produce we now know that fresh produce isn’t any better than frozen. In honor of National Frozen Food Month this March, we’re going to be busting some myths today around frozen fruits and veggies!
Great Nutrition: A number of studies show that there are minimal differences in the nutrient content of frozen versus fresh produce and in some instances, frozen has even more nutrients than fresh! Frozen fruits are generally picked at peak ripeness, when they’re most nutritious and the freezing process helps lock in those nutrients. In fact, Wild Blueberries are frozen fresh within 24 hours of harvest, when their flavor and antioxidant goodness are at their ultimate peak!
Less Food Waste: Another benefit to choosing frozen fruits and vegetables is their long shelf life! Fresh fruits and vegetables are at greater risk for spoilage and food waste, but frozen allows you to buy in bulk without the worry of your produce going bad.
Higher Consumption: In fact, one study found that people who purchase frozen fruits and vegetables consume significantly more produce than those who don’t purchase frozen. So if you’re looking to increase your fruit and veggie intake, frozen produce may be your answer!
Smaller Grocery Bill: Purchasing frozen produce can also help keep your grocery bills down. Frozen fruits and vegetables are generally less expensive than fresh. For instance, a 10-ounce bag of frozen fruit is about the same price as six ounces of the fresh fruit. The USDA has a nifty interactive chart you can use to compare the cost of fresh vs. frozen produce.
Enjoy When Ready: I love stocking my freezer with frozen produce because it takes the pressure off of having to consume it all within a short period of time. With frozen produce, I can eat it when I’m ready for it, rather than when it’s ready for me. With 99% of the Wild Blueberry crop being frozen, I can always count on having Wild Blueberries on hand in my freezer.
My latest recipe using frozen Wild Blueberries capitalizes on the trend for grain bowls or “Buddha Bowls.” While this recipe calls for fresh produce, feel free to substitute it with frozen. You can easily substitute Swiss Chard for frozen spinach, and I recently heard that you can now find frozen avocados on the market, too! Wins for frozen produce all around!
