When I drive past a blueberry farm or stand on the side of the road I think of a friend who grew up on a blueberry farm.  Envious imagining how lucky she was and what a blast it must have been as a kid to wonder the fields loading her cheeks up with fresh  picked blueberries, still warm and juicy sweet. The imagined that distinctive blueberry pie aroma filling the air while they cool down all around the kitchen, the pantry full of blueberry jams, blueberry pancakes….blueberry EVERYTHING!  Forget about the reality that they are grown to be sold and not consumed by one family.

So, in my confusion of an over active chef’s imagination I decided to ask my good friend Jeanette Duguay, who grew up on a blueberry farm, what her childhood was like.  Was her experience the same as my imagination?

Well…let’s see what Jeanette has to say about “Growing Up Blueberry”

Jeannette Duguay of Jentekk Web Solutions

It may seem hard to understand that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Growing up on a blueberry farm had its perks and “not-so-perky” side! I am sure that I look at blueberries in a completely different way than most.

For example, as an adult, I have never had the desire to purchase blueberries, or to eat them. I guess you could say I got my fill as a child – enough to last me a lifetime!

As a little girl I really couldn’t appreciate the quality of blueberries that my Father grew… they were fresh, sweet, big and juicy. I thought this was how *all* blueberries were. NOT so. Good luck trying to find anything like that at Safeway.

Customers would come back year after year – loyal and hooked on Bos’ (BIG) Blueberries. We shipped our berries all across Canada for family, friends and friends of family.

So, what was it like growing up on a blueberry farm?  Let me first share the not-so-perky bits, and end with the best part of all.

NOT-SO-PERKY

Blueberry everything! Homemade blueberry jam, blueberry pie, blueberry smoothies, blueberry honey and blueberry wine — eventually the novelty of blueberries wore off.

Starlings! These birds would come in flocks the size of large clouds and destroy the berries. Myself and my 2 sisters would have to go out in to the fields at dusk, banging on pots and pans trying and scare them away.

Bee hives. We brought them in to pollinate the blueberry flowers in the spring. Being a kid, I always ran around outside in bare feet. I can’t count the number of times I got stung on my foot.

Long busy hot days during berry picking season. I had to pick berries, and when I wasn’t picking them I was cleaning them, and when I wasn’t cleaning them I was going with my Dad to the Blueberry Co-op, or taking care of customers, or out in the field banging on pots and pans.

PERKS

Blueberry everything! Homemade blueberry jam, blueberry pie, blueberry smoothies, blueberry honey and blueberry wine.  I loved blueberries as a kid!
Scatter picking. Selectively picking a handful of the biggest sweetest blueberries right off the bush and shoving them all into my mouth at one time – and doing so to my hearts’ content!

Blue Teeth. After pigging out on berries it was always funny to see how blue our teeth got.

The Seasons. Watching the seasons having their effects on the leaves. Fall left us with a endless view of leaves the color of the sunset – hues of red, yellow and orange. Winter they were clothed with a beautiful robe of white. Yeah we used to get LOTS of snow back in the late 60′s and 70′s.

THE BIGGEST PERK

My Dad the Farmer. Watching my Dad out in the field, whether it be for pruning, fertilizing, spraying, or keeping the trails cut and weeds under control. I find the memories of watching my Father work in the fields one of the best memories of all.

He taught me that hard work won’t kill you, that patience is a virtue and that for the most part, if we are blessed… we reap what we sow! 

Jeanette Duguay

Jeanette…Thank you for taking the time to share your memories!  Jeanette Duguay is a talented web developer, owning Jentekk Web Solutions and a serious Bikram Yoga fan with her site Cafe Yogi.

There is still time to buy blueberries here in Richmond, but the season is winding down soon. Remember buying fresh local blueberries and freezing them optimizes their nutritional benefits as blueberries are one of the few frozen fruits that keep their nutritional punch for upwards of six months.

I freeze them on trays then put into ziplock freezer bags and then into a large freezer bag to help protect them.  My 20lbs of frozen berries will last me 6 months into the winter!

I’ll have to blog more about my morning drink which is LOADED with nutrients, but in the meantime the person who inspired this recipe Katie Derusha has a delicious blueberry banana smoothie recipe on their website, www.newwaveathletics.com.

I’m excited to move into the fall seasonal fruits and vegetables and look forward to adding some more recipes!