The Pick-Your-Own season is going off without a hitch! We have FINALLY wrapped up Pick-Your-Own strawberries, which surprisingly lasted into the second week of July! A first here at Bishop’s, we were able to sustain such a long season due to a later variety of strawberries coming in, and coming in strong. They were delicious and such a sweet surprise! As soon as we wrapped up the season, Pick-Your-Own blueberries was ready to start the next day!!
Our blueberry season usually lasts through late August, with approximately a six to seven week harvest period. As with our strawberries, we grow several varieties of blueberries that continuously ripen throughout the season. Blueberries have always been a small, mighty treat!! They are very versatile and great for cooking, freezing, or simply snacking on them at the beach or at summer camp. We are currently right at the peak season where the flavor is unreal! When picking make sure the berry has a full blue color. This will guarantee a sweet flavor, instead of a sour taste.
Blueberries are one of the easier fruits to store. Keeping them fresh is easy, simply arrange the berries (without washing) on a paper towel-lined tray and cover with plastic wrap. Make sure to not rinse or remove the stems until you are ready to serve. Blueberries should be kept in the refrigerator and can store well up to one week! If you are looking to freeze your berries, wash them gently and drain on a paper towel. Once dried, sort them over and remove any small stems. Place all your berries on a cookie sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer to quick freeze. Once they are frozen, place them into a plastic bags. Leave ½” to ¾” head room in the bags. When you are ready to use, remove them from the freezer and defrost ONLY long enough to thaw. Frozen blueberries can store well up to 3 months.
As we head into August, you will see our own peaches available for Pick-Your-Own sometime in the middle of August, and raspberries towards the very end. So much flavor is still yet to be seen, and we are excited for you to get a taste! Remember, if you don’t have time to make it out to our Pick-Your-Own fields, you can always head to our Farm Market where plenty of our own Bishop’s produce is available. So much is in season right now and we have the PERFECT recipes to pair with our produce. You can find recipes online at our Bishop’s Cookbook, but in the meantime, here are a few to highlight with the upcoming crop!
Blueberry Dessert Smoothie
With extra fruit on hand, make this tasty fruit smoothie with a base of blueberries.
Makes 2 Servings
- 1 cup ice cream
- 1 cup blueberries
- ½ cup peaches
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup yogurt
Place all ingredients in a blender. Cover and mix until smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. Yields 2 servings (about 1 ¼ cup per serving).
Peach and Blueberry Cobbler
This simple cobbler uses fresh peaches and frozen blueberries covered by the easiest crumble topping, so you can have a taste of summer all year.
Makes 6 Servings
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 5 cups peaches
- 2 cups blueberries
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup light cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- whipped cream
For filling, mix sugar with cornstarch and toss with peaches and blueberries. Transfer to the bottom of a lightly buttered shallow baking dish (9” or 10” pie plate or 8” square). Preheat oven to 425°. For dough, in food processor, combine flour, baking powder and salt; cut in chilled butter and process with cream to make a dough. Roll out to about ½-in thick into a shape to fit your baking pan. Or, cut into biscuits touching each other over fruit. Drizzle with melted butter and sugar and bake for 40 min. or until biscuits are golden and fruit is bubbling. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with or without ice cream
Grilled Peach and Bell Pepper Salsa
A colorful topping that will add sweet peaches and crisp peppers to your flaky fish or moist chicken entree.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 2 teaspoons mint
- 1 garlic
- 1 ¼ peaches
- ⅓ cup bell peppers
- 2 teaspoon cider vinegar
Prepare grill or turn on broiler. Combine first four ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Lightly brush cut side of peaches with half of oil mixture. Grill or broil peaches about two minutes on the cut side only until golden. Do not allow to burn. Transfer to a rack to cool. Chop peaches and combine with remaining ingredients and oil mixture in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss.