Blueberry Season

During the summer along Rt.1 in the Midcoast you can find little tent and truck stands selling the fruits of the season. August is blueberry time so I usually stop a couple times and pick up some quarts. I wash and clean them then freeze them for use during the year in pancakes, muffins and banana bread. It’s very handy to have blueberries available for a quick treat.

Banana Bread with Blueberries is a current favorite at our house. Here’s how I make mine:

Mash a very ripe banana or two. If you only have one then your bread will just taste less banana-y. The riper the banana the better- its easier to mash the lumps out of over-ripe bananas. Add a cup of brown sugar and a tsp. of vanilla. Mix well. Next add a 1/3 cup oil and a large egg. Mix well again.

Sift together 2 -1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 -1/2 tsp. baking powder. Add these dry ingredients to the banana mix a little at a time and mix.

If the batter seems dry add a little milk. If you use only one banana you will need to add milk a few tablespoons at a time. Don’t overdo-the batter should be thick.

Finally mix in some chopped walnuts and 1/2 to a cup of those frozen blueberries. Pour into a greased bread pan and bake at 350. I find that baking time runs 60 to 75 minutes. Check with a toothpick.

I’ve frozen raspberries in season and use them the same way. Sometimes I make ‘fruitcake’ by adding some blueberries and some raspberries with the nuts to the banana bread. Great with tea!