Since 1926, the Agricultural Review has been a free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. For many years, The Tar Heel Kitchen was a featured column written by the department’s marketing home economist.
These recipes tended to be seasonal with just a handful of ingredients. We thought these recipes needed to be shared in a new format. The Tar Heel Kitchen post will unearth a few of these timeless recipes each month. This week we are revisiting the June 15, 1970, issue and a couple of delicious ways to enjoy fresh North Carolina blueberries.
Blueberry season is just getting started across the state. Farmers markets, grocery stores and pick-your-own farms are likely to have plenty available. While the berries are in season, be sure to stock up. “Of all fruits, blueberries are probably the easiest to freeze,” said York Kiker, former home economist. “Select full-flavored ripe berries of uniform size. Pick over to remove stems. Do not wash. Pack dry in freezing containers leaving a half inch of space. Seal completely and freeze. Before using frozen berries, place in a strainer and rinse under water. Shake well to remove extra water.”
Here are a few blueberry recipes to enjoy.
Blueberry Dump Cake
- 1 pint blueberries, sweetened to taste
- 1 small can crushed pineapple
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 ½ cup broken nuts
- 1 ½ sticks of butter, melted
Put berries in oblong type baking dish, approximately 6×11 inches, cover with pineapple, Pour on dry cake mix and scatter nuts over top. Melt butter and drizzle over all. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes
- 1 1/3 cups unsifted flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Stir all dry ingredients together thoroughly. Combine egg, sour cream and milk in a separate bowl. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just enough to combine ingredients. Add blueberries, stirring just enough to mix in the blueberries. Drop batter onto hot, greased griddle. Cook until surface is covered with bubbles, turn, cook until other side is browned. Top with favorite syrup.