Blueberry Scones using frozen Maine blueberries
Maine blueberries are the freaking best. They are small and sweet and just overall, the champion of berries. Don’t tell cranberries I said that.
This past year my grandparents, my mother and I went to a field on the island where I grew up. Turns out, it’s pretty easy to socially distance in a blueberry field. We got to spend time together, which is always nice, but more importantly, we were on a mission. We went armed with baskets that my grandmother made, colanders, a blueberry rake and other assorted bowls. By the time we were done, the containers were full, and so were our bellies.
The reason we pick so many is pretty simple: we want blueberries all year round, and the best way to do that is to freeze them. They freeze beautifully. I also do this with other things I harvest throughout the year, including blackberries, raspberries and sometimes, even crazy things like violets. If you have extra berries from the grocery store, you can even freeze and use them later on too. However, once the berries are frozen, they are only good for baking projects like jam-making or cooking down for a syrup. They are no longer good for snacking.
Here are a couple tips and tricks that I use when freezing:
- Store them in either freezer bags with a zipper or a glass pyrex container.
- Always measure out your berries and mark how many cups there are on the outside of the container. This will help you later on when you’re baking. If, for example, you know your pie recipe calls for four cups of frozen blueberries, you can go ahead and pre-measure your berries for the next time you need them. This is extremely helpful if, at some point, your berries have thawed and refrozen into one giant blueberry ice-cube.
- I have used frozen blueberries for pies, turnovers, jams, scones, sauces, cakes and have noticed no difference from using the fresh ones in the summer.
I know that not everyone is lucky enough to be able to go pick their own Maine blueberries from a field like we are, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for sub-par berries. You’re amazing. You deserve tasty berries.
Luckily for everyone in the rest of the 49 states, you can find excellent wild blueberries in the frozen section of the grocery store. The brand is called Wyman’s, and they are a Maine-based company. Their website has a page where you can search to see if they sell berries near you:
https://wymans.com/store-locator/
I am aware that this seems like a plug or an ad. It’s not. They literally have no idea who I am. I just want people to have quality berries.
If you are unable to find Wyman’s, that’s okay. I know not everyone is as neurotic about berries as I am. Any frozen blueberry will work, and it will still be delish. Wyman’s are just the closest in taste to the “picked fresh from a field” berries that we get here in Vacationland.
Blueberry Scones With Frozen Maine Blueberries
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Sugar Plus an extra tablespoon for sprinkling on top of your scones
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoons Orange Zest
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter or one stick
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream Plus an additional tablespoon for the top of your scone.
- 3/4 Cup Frozen Blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- In a mixing bowl, place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and the zest, and mix together using a whisk. Make a well in the center. Set aside.
- Chop up your cold butter into 1/4 inch pieces. Place chopped butter into the dry ingredients, and cut the butter into the dry ingredients. You can use two forks, a pastry cutter or your hands. I use my hands and pinch the butter between my fingers. Cut in the butter until the pieces are pea-sized.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Pour into the well that you made in the first bowl.
- Use your hands to incorperate your liquids into your dry/butter mixture. Once it starts to come together, and you have just a little of the dry ingredients in the bottom of your bowl, add in your frozen blueberries. Mix with your hands until the berries are incorperated, and your dough has come together.
- Turn out dough onto floured surface, and roll into a long log. Use a knife or a bench scraper to cut your dough into the desired size. Or you can roll your dough into a 3/4 inch thick disk and cut out triangles.
- Place on a sheet pan with parchment. Use a pastry brush, and brush your scones with your leftover heavy cream. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until light brown on the bottom and when they spring back when you touch them in the middle. Once finished, slather in butter or your favorite jam. Baking time: 15-17 minutes for small scones. 28-30 minutes for large scones.
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