/

Blueberry Fields Forever {and a Blueberry Compote Recipe}

This past Saturday I actually escaped from suburbia and enjoyed a little taste of heaven. It’s not too often that I leave my little bubble, so I jumped at the chance when my sister-in-law invited my clan to join her clan in a blueberry picking adventure at Berryfield Farm. My clan and I had never before been blueberry picking and we had no idea what to expect. I didn’t even really know for sure what a blueberry bush even looked like, you don’t see many in suburbia ya’ know.

It was a delightful and charming experience it was from beginning to end.

Total bliss.

It was as if we had all stepped into a fairytale for the day. I kid you not. And we even had four children in tow, ranging in ages from 3-12.

And this is how it began…

With country roads.

Loooong, winding, beautiful, lazy country roads.

And storybook farms and fields of corn and wheat swaying in the breeze.

I was almost ready to break into a hearty “God Bless America” but then remembered that I was in a car with 5 other people and decided against it.

And did I mention the big sky… I didn’t even realize that we had sky this big in Ohio.

Sometimes we all just need to take drive on a country road and stare out the window. It’s very therapeutic and relaxing (and much cheaper than traditional therapy, I’m just sayin).

After thoroughly enjoying our relaxing drive down country roads, I almost forgot where I was going (even with four children mind you) until we saw the sign, then we knew that there was no question that we had indeed had reached our final destination.

I mean seriously, how darling is that sign for goodness sakes?

But then we drove up the dirt drive only to lay our eager eyes on this darling little barn that sat all nestled in amongst the blueberry bushes.

I felt like I needed to keep pinching myself, was I awake? Or still at home dreaming away in a deep slumber? It just kept getting better and better.

Then we met this charming fellow. Meet Curtis. He is the one responsible for this whole fairytale experience.

He even has twinkly little blueberries for eyes doesn’t he?

After having the pleasure of chatting with Curtis, he handed us one of those crisp white buckets lined with clear bags and invited us to sample the fruits of our labor while harvesting and sent us on our merry little way into the rows of blueberry bushes.

I was still not prepared for the beauty and serenity of this adventure.

Rows and rows of bushes chock full of little blue bundles of bliss just waiting to be picked.

As I mentioned earlier, I had (sadly) never laid eyes on a blueberry bush before.

Blueberry bushes are lovely.

They have no thorns lurking about ready to snag picking fingers, instead they are filled with tiny, smooth, unassuming leaves that don’t get in your way. The ripened pale blue berries are waiting to be picked and they gently roll off of the stem and into your hand.

They feel like suede.

This picking (which was supposed to be work wasn’t it?) was even more therapeutic then the relaxing ride to the farm.

In the back of my mind I was half expecting to hear epic movie music come wafting through the bushes at any given moment.

But instead and more perfectly fitting, was the happy, bubbly sound of birds singing to their hearts content.

Fairytale, storybook…heck even Disney, call it what you like, it was heaven on earth I tell you. If you’ve never gone blueberry picking then take it from me..

You. Simply. Must.

Blueberries…

Gorgeous aren’t they? Can’t you just taste ’em? Sweet, sweet SWEETNESS with a hint of tartness.

We could have roamed all day long in the rows of blueberry bushes.

But I already had 5 pounds of the little darlings and my sister-in-law had, well about four times that, (she was on a mission) so we decided to call it a day. Once we made our way back to the little red barn, with our buckets full and our hearts happy, we settled up our pickings with Curtis.

And enjoyed visiting with the sweet old pooch.

I mean seriously, will the picture perfect everything ever end?

Nope.

Even beautiful wildflowers were scattered about blowing in the breeze.

Now I can’t take you all the way to Berryfield Farm to pick pounds of delicious blueberries and not share a recipe with you now can I?

No, I don’t think I can.

Now sit back and watch how easy it is to make a blueberry compote.

These are the four simple ingredients.

Two cups of blueberries, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water. That’s all.

Pour one cup blueberries, water and sugar into a pan.

Next add two teaspoons of lemon juice.

Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Add remaining 1 cup of blueberries and cook for 8 more minutes.

Stir well during these last 8 minutes.

The compote will be a thick consistency with some of the blueberries still in tact.

I had to take a bite before the drool made contact with the pan.

It was dreamy.

Now find a pretty glass and add some vanilla ice cream , then pour the warm, thick blueberry compote right over top.

Look at the ice cream marrying itself to the compote.

It’s a dream couple, they’re just perfect for each other.

I took one bite and nearly lost consciousness.

I decided that I needed another opinion and let My Yanni take a bite…

Lucky little devil.

This is all I got back.

If you need me I will be roaming the blueberry fields. If not in real life…then in my dreams.

Forever.

Enjoy.

Wenderly

Blueberry Compote
 
Author: Wenderly
Four simple ingredients that turn blueberries into a decadent, thick and sweet treat!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 freshly squeezed meyer lemon
Instructions
  1. Place 1 cup blueberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Give a good stir.
  2. Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes.
  3. Pour in the remaining cup of blueberries and cook for about 8 minutes more, stirring almost constantly. The compote will be a thick consistency with some of the blueberries still in tact.
  4. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream or enjoy by the spoonful all by itself!
 
Notes
Adapted from from Ellie Krieger

 

Wenderly

Married my soulmate. Mama of 2. Love to inspire. Can't help but to relish in all things beautiful inside & out. Join me in Savoring the Art of Living.

11 Comments

  1. Just gorgeous! That first photo really conveys the beauty and serenity of the country. Love it…and the compote looks fabulous, too.

  2. What a beautiful post! Almost felt like I was there. Just found a recipe for homemade cream puffs. I can just imagine this beautiful blueberry compote served with ice cream and the cream puff. Heavenly for sure! Thanks for the amazing photos & recipe.

  3. YUMMY!!! The compote was delish but at the moment, I can’t stop stuffing the plain blueberries you gave me into my mouth!!!! I can never get enough of plain blueberries!! How long are they in season???–I want to go too! 😀

  4. I love your sweet ode to berry country. It makes me even more grateful (than I usually am everyday) to live in berry country, see those winding roads and gorgeous skies every day, and be just minutes from blueberry and strawberry fields…not to mention peach, apple, cherry and pear orchards. Fruit picking is a summer-long activity for me, and I’m so glad my kids get to experience that.

    Make it a new tradition for your family. The memories are as sweet as the fruit. 🙂

  5. Don’t you just love those farms that let you go picking!! Thanks for sharing your trip it sounds like you had a great time. Mr. Twinkle is a keeper 🙂 Love the compote!! YUM

  6. ooohhh! I must make that today or very, very soon!

    Thank you for sharing.

    You’re brilliant!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.