Halloween is just around the corner, and we’ve got quite the lineup of bewitching treats for you and your little goblins! This scary good holiday doesn’t have to be all about candy bars and processed snacks—remember the times when the most cherished treats were handmade caramel apples and popcorn balls? If you’re hosting a Halloween gathering, consider enchanting your guests with a selection of wickedly eye-catching treats straight from your kitchen. And when it comes to crafting delightful and nutritious home-made desserts, wild blueberries are the secret ingredient that can make a world of difference—both in flavor and health! These tiny, nutrient-dense powerhouses can help support whole body health, making them an ideal addition to your child’s spooky sweets this Halloween.
Now onto the spooky fun, filled with some wild blueberry goodness!
*Wild* Halloween Desserts You’ll Howl For
Bat-Shaped Cookies with Naturally Colored Wild Blueberry Icing
These Bat-Shaped Wild Blueberry Cookies are equal parts adorable and eerie (well maybe not—the little bat faces are pretty cute!). Get ready to sink your teeth into the dark and delicious with this fun recipe. Plus, if you’re not fond of having your kids decorate cookies with artificial food colors, we’ve got good news for you—the icing is naturally colored from the vibrant wild blueberries!
Wild Boo-Berry Snack Balls
Boo-Berry Snack Balls, anyone? These bite-sized treats are a hauntingly healthy delight. A mix of oats, dates, cashews, and coconut, these balls are perfect for snacking on while you plan your costume, or they can serve as fun finger food for Halloween party-goers.
Wild Blueberries & Cream Mummy Cookies
Unwrap a truly *wild* flavor with our Wild Blueberries & Cream Mummy Cookies. These cute and spooky cookies are a scream, and no one will even notice that they are sugar- and gluten-free!
Wild Boo-Berry Bat Gummies
These Wild Boo-Berry Bat Gummies are sure to fly right into your heart, surpassing their store-bought counterparts. The crispy sugared exterior yields to a soft, jam-like center, and with every bite, you’ll experience a harmonious balance of bold, fruity sweetness.
Vegan Wild Blueberry Pumpkin Mug Cake
Don’t forget dessert for one! Our Vegan Wild Blueberry Pumpkin Mug Cake is a quick and easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. The flavorful wild blues are a heavenly match with pumpkin, and their smaller size makes them perfect for single-serve desserts like this one.
Wild Blueberry Pull-Apart Bread
While the recipe title isn’t specifically Halloween themed, this Wild Blueberry Pull-Apart Bread oozes with eerie excitement—and it could pass for mummy bread! Tear and share this deliciously creepy treat with family and friends or just the kiddos.
How will you and your little goblins celebrate the spooky season? If you decide to spend some quality time together whipping up one of these scrumptious wild blueberry Halloween-themed dessert recipes, make sure to take a photo, post on social media, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Happy Halloween!
Got a taste for something sweet, flaky, and not so big that it will spoil both dinner and breakfast the next day? The Hartford Courant’s Linda Giuca has the right idea. Over at the Courant, they are just close enough to the heart of wild blueberry country (Maine, Quebec and Eastern Canada) to know what hits the spot when it comes to a quick dessert. Easy Blueberry Turnovers are warm and fruity, sure. But do they also integrate one of the most nutritious antioxidant-packed superfruits you can put on your plate? You bet they do. And Guica makes one of the most delicious pitches for the convenience and taste of frozen we’ve heard…well, at least all day! Says Guica:
“These mini-turnovers also used another item from the freezer – local blueberries from last summer’s pick-your-own trip. If you didn’t make a picking excursion, the tiny wild blueberries from Maine, available in the frozen foods section of most supermarkets, make a good substitute.”
A good substitute indeed. If you know frozen, you know frozen wild blues are actually a preferred alternative for chefs and bakers. In fact, not long ago, we answered some of your most asked questions about wild blueberries when it comes to using them as an ingredient in everything from muffins to entrées. Here’s one of our updated favorites from the archive if you need convincing:
Do frozen wild blueberries work in a recipe that calls for fresh? Yes. Frozen wilds are ideal for recipes in just about every instance. Allison Fishman, author of You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, says using frozen is her ideal method for cooking, mostly because “it’s they best way to get the whole berry.” She also likes the cost savings of frozen, and uses frozen wild blueberries in all of her recipes that call for blueberries, with rare exception. In fact, many respected chefs have revealed their passion for wild blueberries and why they consider them a culinary star. The IQF or “frozen fresh” method makes making the case for frozen easy—they are a seamless substitution for recipes, jams, toppings, and for eating blueberries all by themselves. Because wild blueberries are frozen at their peak of taste and nutrition, when you are using frozen, you are getting all the benefits of fresh. (Along with the added convenience and ease of use when you’re baking!)
Now you’re ready for a delicious treat with fresh frozen fruit. Don’t forget to open the freezer before you open the oven – wild blueberries are pleasing in so many ways.
Want more FAQs? Head over to FAQ Blue for the most asked questions and tips about eating, adding and cooking with wild blueberries.
Need a Healthy Eating Idea? These Favorites are Tried, True & Blue
Looking for a new dining or dessert idea that’s big on health and just as big on taste? We’ve assembled the top most-viewed recipes from wildblueberries.com from the last twelve months and made them into our – that is, your – countdown of the Top 5 Wild Blueberry Recipes. Of all the unique, creative ways to use wild blueberries, why do these recipes keep coming out on top? The answer is palpable. Here, you be the judge.
We were delighted to see a non-dessert recipe show up in the past year’s Top 5: This one is perfect for its easy pairing of protein with the sweet, tangy taste of wild blueberry sauce. The secret: deglazing the pan with red wine, wild blueberries, lemon rind and salt. It turns chicken into a superfruit specialty. Using frozen wild blues means you can keep this recipe up your sleeve for any time you want something unique, easy, and big on healthy ingredients.
#4: Wild Blueberry Crisp The jury is in: we simply can’t resist a crisp – the crunch, the sweetness, and the satisfaction is what makes this dessert a true favorite. This crisp recipe delights over and over again because of its fruit combination (apples paired with blues) and its ease. Add chopped pecans if you wish for an additional nutty crunch – undeniable dessert excellence.
#3: Brownie Dominoes with Wild Blueberry Cinnamon Sauce Brownies are a consistent, seasonless favorite, and this recipe comes in at #3 for its winning combination that rose quietly above the rest. It must be its chocolately flavor that pairs so wonderfully with blueberries. Served with wild blueberry sauce as recommended gives them the crave-worthy quality that makes them a list topper. Hard to believe, but these are Color Code health-approved, too.
The second place spot for popularity over the last 12 months is no surprise – it’s a pie classic that stands the test of time because it is always flawless and delicious. Winning out over more inventive desserts, Wild Blueberry Pie reigns for its supreme beauty (and rustic lattice-top crust, if you choose) and its bountiful six cups of wild blueberries that flow past its corners. Wildly delicious? Agreed.
What makes this recipe the top visited recipe of the last year? There’s no secret that the smoothie is a beloved way to get healthy antioxidants. While nutrition experts advocate eating the whole fruit rather than those in juiced form to preserve desirable fiber, the Wild Blueberry Smoothie fits the bill. It contains all the fiber of the whole fruit, and all the dark blue skins where beneficial phytos reside. Add the benefits of yogurt and honey to this naturally sweet concoction, and yep, it’s the best of the best.
#1 Recipe, Wild Blueberry Smoothie, is a star in health.
Runner-Up: An Easy Summer Dessert.Looking for an easy, colorful, warm-weather dessert that everyone will love? Try #6 on our list, Wild Blueberry Cassis Mousse Cake, a perfect choice for summer.
Check out our new look! A brand new design for wildblueberries.com means searching for all our best recipes is even easier and more fun, whether it’s for breakfasts, snacks, salads, entrees, desserts or a delightful summer drink. (Bookmark us for when you need a delicious, antioxidant-rich dish any time of day!)
The 10 Most Popular Questions About Cooking with Frozen Wild Blueberries – Answered!
More than ever, wild blueberries are smothering breakfast, lunch and dinner plates, and they are doing it in a variety of unprecedented ways. Today, consumers are taking full advantage of this delicious, high-antioxidant fruit.
Why? The wild blueberry’s role in preserving brain health, preventing some types of cancers, and battling inflammation caused by free radicals is no longer the secret of researchers and scientists. Wild blueberries are the domain of everyone from nutritionists and chefs to home cooks and time-starved moms.
Wild blueberries share space at the very top of most any list of the healthiest foods – rivaling omega-3 rich fish and leafy greens – as nutrition’s most superb delivery system. It’s made the “at least one serving per day” rule of wild blueberries gospel in kitchens across the globe. Thousands of recipes showcase their versatility and their knack for making a simple plate soar with taste.
Whether you are new to cooking with frozen or you’ve known about this IQF ingredient for years, you’ll benefit from knowing the ins and outs of how to best use your blues. We’ve compiled the most popular questions about using frozen wild blueberries in your kitchen so you are getting the very best out of one of the natural world’s most superior foods. Here are our ten most frequently asked questions about cooking with blue, including how to make the perfect pancake and debunking the myth of blue batter.
1. Do frozen wild blueberries work in a recipe that calls for fresh?
Yes. Frozen wilds are ideal for recipes in just about every instance. Allison Fishman, author of You Can Trust a Skinny Cook, says using frozen is her ideal method for cooking, mostly because “it’s they best way to get the whole berry.” She also likes the cost savings of frozen, and uses frozen wild blueberries in all of her recipes that call for blueberries, with the rare exception of those used to garnish lemon tarts, where she opts for fresh. The IQF method makes making the case for frozen easy—they are a seamless substitution for recipes, jams, toppings, and for eating blueberries all by themselves.
2. Can I substitute wild for the larger cultivated berry?
Absolutely. In fact, for reasons of nutritional impact and flavor, it’s always advisable to substitute cultivated blueberries with wild. Cultivated blueberries come fresh and frozen, so look for the moniker “wild” whenever you purchase – they are a product exclusively of Maine or Nova Scotia. Wild will provide you with more powerful nutrition, thanks to the higher skin-to-pulp ratio and the environmental “stressors” that allow wild blueberries to develop a protection that translates into powerful nutrients and more intense flavor than their cultivated cousins. It’s also important to keep in mind that wild blueberries, due to their wild nature, naturally contain a variety of berries, which accounts for the variations in size, color and taste.
3. Can I substitute blueberries for other fruits in recipes?
As in this recipe from Tastebook.com, blueberries are a straightforward substitute in most recipes. When fruit is the key ingredient, consider using a mixture of wild blueberries and another fruit. It can create a wonderful flavor combination. And, the wild flavor is one that many find preferable to other berries; they provide a delicious burst of flavor ranging from sweet to tangy, thanks to their natural variations. It’s a taste you just can’t duplicate it with other berry ingredients.
4. What’s the best way to cook with frozen wild blueberries? Should they be thawed?
Frozen blueberries do not need to be thawed before you add them to cake or muffin batter, for instance. They can and should be left in their frozen state for most baking unless the recipe calls for them to be defrosted. Keeping them in their frozen state will preserve their texture and individuality and will keep the blueberries from bleeding into the recipe.
Fresh frozen blues usually come without additives or syrups, making them a seamless substitution. However, if you find your frozen blueberries give off a little more juice than fresh berries, it might be necessary to reduce the liquid and increase the thickener when you use them in desserts such as pies, tarts or cobblers.
5. Is frozen as good as fresh?
Yes. The IQF method freezes wild blueberries at their peak of taste and nutrition. Today, we’re lucky that this modern freezing technique means there is no compromising when it comes to nutrition (they can remain frozen for over two years without losing their flavor or nutritional value). It also means they are economical and accessible any season and any day of the week for spontaneous recipes and meal improvising.
6. How do I declump frozen berries?
In fact, the days of clumped fruit and vegetables are virtually over. With little exception, today’s frozen wild blueberries available in the frozen food aisle use the IQF method of freezing. That means they are “individually quick frozen” which preserves their individuality when they are frozen and when they are thawed.
7. What’s the best way to use frozen wild blueberries in pancakes?
When using frozen wild blueberries in pancakes, eHow.com suggests adding them to each pancake as it cooks. The berries will sink into the batter and will be hot and juicy after the pancake is turned and cooking is completed. Avoid adding frozen berries directly to the batter – that goes for fresh or frozen – most chefs prefer their pancake additions to assemble in the middle of each cake. Sprinkle enough for each pancake on the batter-up side before flipping for the ideal pancake aesthetic.
8. How can I use wild blueberries for more than just dessert and breakfast?
It’s a great question, and one consumers are asking more and more as they discover that integrating blueberries into more recipes can enhance health benefits and give dishes a unique flavor profile.
There are plenty of resources for cooking with blueberries (that don’t have to do with pancakes or muffins) online and in cookbooks devoted solely to the fruit. Blueberries are a popular addition to many salads, for use in chutney, and in glazes and sauces that make delicious additions to pork and fish dishes. Wild blueberries also provide the basis of oodles of unique appetizers such as spicy tortillas or dishes like this Savory Blueberry Ricotta Pizza.
Tip: The sweet and tangy taste of wild blueberries provides an ideal contrast to dishes featuring duck or pork, as in this recipe for Pork Chops with Blueberry Ginger Relish from EatingWell.com. The burst of flavor makes protein dishes memorable—it’s why they are so popular with chefs.
9. How can I prevent my batter from turning blue when I use wild blues?
“Personally, I think frozen blueberries are good for purées and smoothies and not much else.”
Statements like this are troubling—it means some of us are missing out on convenient, healthy additions to our cooking repertoire. It’s not necessary to be stuck in the smoothie rut because of the “swirl” factor – today’s IQF blueberries are much more versatile then many people realize. While it’s true that a blue swirl can interfere in some recipes where the batter must remain pristine, there’s no need to wait for August to buy fresh to bake with blue. Just follow these easy steps instead:
Freeze & Fold: First, wild blueberries create the blue color when they defrost or burst, so be sure to keep them fully frozen and unmangled. Then, make sure not to add your blues too early. Adding blueberries to a cake or muffin recipe should be done last. They should be folded in and baked immediately to prevent bleed. Tip: Toss your blueberries in a touch of flour to provide additional insurance against the blue swirl.
Mind the pH: According to the Blueberry Council, if your muffin, cake or pancake batter is too “basic”, that is, it has a high pH, it can lead to a batter’s colored haze. Blueberries turn reddish when exposed to acids, such as lemon juice and vinegar, and greenish-blue in a batter that has too much baking soda, which creates an alkaline environment. The rule of thumb for preserving the beauty of blues: adjust the acidity of your batter by replacing some of the liquid with buttermilk, sour cream, applesauce or citrus juice and reducing baking soda/powder.
Embrace the Swirl: As shown in this cheesecake recipe, which takes advantage of the blueberry’s ability to create an eddy of purple-blue color, it can sometimes be a boon to embrace the swirl. It can also work to your advantage in things like eggnog, yogurt servings, or any dessert with a monotonous white topping. Use berries sparingly on toppings to create the perfect blue twist. Take a look at how Sassandveracity.com makes use of color with these Not Quite Blue Cupcakes with Not Quite Red Ice Cream. Way to embrace the swirl!
10. How do I keep wild blueberries from “dropping”?
One reason blueberries sink is because the specific gravity may be too low, says the Blueberry Council. Increase specific gravity by using a thicker, denser batter. Dropping can also be the result of too much air in the batter: avoid over-blending during the first stage of creaming. Bonus FAQ: Basic Measurements & Conversions for Wild Blueberries:
1 pint of fresh blueberries weights about 3/4 of a pound or 2 cups
1 10-ounce package of frozen blueberries = 1-1/2 cups
1 quart = 1-1/2 pounds or 4 cups
Cultivated and wild are 1:1, but your count of wild will be higher due to their compact size. (That’s more skin per cup and more antioxidant power!)
Frozen and fresh are also 1:1; allow for a bit of moisture for frozen by pulling back on a liquid ingredient by a 10%.
It takes about 4 cups of blueberries to make a blueberry pie. They make their point with this classic deep dish blueberry pie recipe.
A normal batch of blueberry preserves, jam or jelly requires 5 pints of berries. Here’s the recipe in 12 Simple Steps.
Jam Lovers Rejoice!
Q: Can you really use frozen for jams? A: You can. Most frozen wild products are pure wild blueberries with no syrup, making it a seamless substitution. Find this and other tips for frozen substitutions at eHow.com.
Chef Jérôme Ferrer is a Montreal chef with a flair for creative, delicious food and a talent for distinctive use of market fresh produce. As Grand Chef at the celebrated Restaurant Europea, a true hot spot of creative, modern cuisine located in a luxurious Victoria Mansion in the heart of the city, Ferrer and his staff of 22 chefs can be found fixing up dishes on the famed menu that provide some of the best edible evidence that food can be turned into art.
The Wild Blueberry Association was fortunate enough to procure Chef Ferrer for some exclusive creations using the beloved wild blueberry as his primary ingredient. The results speak for themselves – they are part of a winning selection of brand new recipes on www.wildblueberries.com.
Want a taste? Chef Ferrer’s distinctive Foie Gras Cutlets with Wild Blueberry Sauce features a generous helping of wild blueberries, along with puréed parsnips and seared foie gras cutlets. His inspired Lamb Bites with Celeriac Bulb & Wild Blueberry Sauce uses the unique flavor of celery root (he transforms it into “fries”, sautés and seasons it) along with the perfect accompaniment: he reduces wild blueberries with lamb stock and wine to create the sauce. Fantastique!
What’s this French chef’s wild blueberry connection? It’s based in part on wild blueberries being a popular indigenous Canadian crop. Lowbush blueberries are harvested only in Maine and Eastern Canada, meaning the versatile ingredient is right at home in Montreal. It’s also a match made in heaven for a chef who specializes in haute French cuisine. French cooking is known for its sweet indulgences – think crème brûlée, parfaits, sorbets, petit fours and marcarons – and the sweet, complex flavor of wild blueberries fits the bill. Ferrer is an expert on the subject – he is the author of Les Secret des Desserts, which reveals his insider info on creating delectable French-themed desserts. One of those strictly-on-the-QT tips? Create your confection using fresh produce and the best local products.
The creative use of wild blueberries is a particularly perfect fit for the Wild Blueberry kitchen due to Chef Ferrer’s dedication to a “from the market” menu at Europea. His efforts to serve food retrieved daily from fresh local providers is clear from his menu. He provides his signature je ne sais quoi to Quebec-raised veal, Appalachian Coast venison, and dishes such as Lobster Cappuccino Truffles, and North Coast Scallop Crèpes.
The Wild Blueberry Association consistently works with renowned chefs in order to develop original recipes that combine the creative ideas with the unparalleled taste and nutrition of wild blueberries. You can enjoy more of the European influence in Wild Blueberries à la Crème Brûlée, a blue take on a traditional French classic, and in Warm Wild Blueberry Petit Fours, a breakfast-inspired interpretation of a fave French treat from the Executive Chef of Kennebunkport’s White Barn Inn, Jonathan Cartwright. In light of all the palate-delighting options, only two words come to mind: Bon appétit!
