British Blueberry Season

British Blueberry Season

British Blueberry Season – Sunny weather means British blueberries will be sweeter with more available earlier.

British blueberry season is now in full swing, with the recent warm sunny weather and high levels of pollination helping blueberries to taste sweeter with more available earlier in the season.

Sunlight hours in June were above average and this created more photosynthesis which helped boost the natural sugar content of British blueberries.

The warmer weather earlier in the year has also been great news for pollinators like bees. Good early pollination means blueberries are available sooner and they are in strong supply.

Nick Marston, Chairman of British Summer Fruits, the industry body that represents 95% of berries supplied to UK supermarkets said: “We have enjoyed bright sunny days throughout June and July which has helped British blueberries to produce high natural sugars overnight, making them sweeter. Blueberries have become renowned for their amazing health benefits and as farms continue to improve growing techniques with late cropping varieties to extend the season, we can offer fresh home-grown blueberries for longer.”

If you fancy getting creative in the kitchen, we have a couple of blueberry recipes for you to try at home:

British Blueberry Season

Summer berry swirled lollies

Makes 10
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Freezing time: overnight

75g (3oz) blackberries
150g (5oz) raspberries
4 tsp. runny honey
300g (10oz) flavoured Greek yoghurt – vanilla, honey, or coconut

Mash blackberries on a plate with 2 teaspoons of honey using a fork.

Do the same with the raspberries and another 2 teaspoons of honey on a second plate.

Layer alternate spoonful’s of mashed fruits with the yoghurt in plastic shot glasses.

Add lolly sticks and freeze overnight. To serve, dip moulds briefly in warm water, then lift out of the moulds and serve.

British Blueberry Season

Mini blueberry cheesecakes

Make these easy, no-cook cheesecakes the night before and leave in the fridge. If you have room, there are some spare for second helpings or just freeze the extras with a little pot of blueberries for another time.

Makes 8

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 4-5 minutes

Chilling time: 5 hours or overnight

Biscuit base

75g (3oz) digestive biscuits

25g (1oz) butter

2 teaspoons golden syrup

Cheesecake

300g (11oz) full fat cream cheese

65g (21/2oz) caster sugar

1 lemon, grated rind and juice

200ml (7fl oz) double cream

Topping

1 teaspoon cornflour

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons water

40g (11/2oz) caster sugar

200g (7oz) Chilean blueberries

Add the biscuits to a small plastic bag, seal the top then crush the biscuits with a rolling pin. Heat the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan until melted, stir in the biscuit crumbs, and mix together.  Divide between 8, 75ml (3fl oz) heart-shaped sections in a flexible silicone cake mould. Press the biscuits into a thin layer with the back of a teaspoon. Chill while making the filling.

Add the cream cheese, caster sugar and lemon rind to a bowl and whisk together briefly until just mixed. Gradually whisk in the lemon juice and the cream until smooth and thick.

Spoon the cheesecake mixture into crumb-lined moulds then spread into an even layer and swirl the tops with the back of a spoon. Chill for 5 hours or overnight.

To make the blueberry topping, add the cornflour to a small saucepan, stir in the lemon juice and mix until smooth then add the water, sugar, and blueberries. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring until the blueberries are just beginning to soften and the sauce has thickened to become a rich blueberry colour. Leave to cool, cover and chill until ready to serve.

To serve, loosen the edges of the heart moulds and press up from the base, removing the cheesecakes with a small spatula. Transfer to serving plates and spoon the blueberries on top.

Cook’s tip

If you find the cheesecakes a little tricky to remove from the moulds or haven’t had much time to chill them, freeze for 30 minutes to firm up then try again.

If you are looking for even more inspiration British Berry Growers is sharing its 90+ delicious recipes which offer a mix of classic and experimental creations that can be used to celebrate the height of British berry season.

Poppy Watt

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