A few days ago, I got inspired to make something with all the blueberries I picked at Belltown Hill Orchards in Glastonbury. Many of them had been sadly dismissed to the freezer after throwing together a blueberry-peach cobbler last week. After leafing through some Food & Wine magazines, I happened upon a recipe for Blueberry Syrup, which seemed like the perfect solution to drown heaps of pancakes, ice cream, drinks, and other treats. Adjacent to this recipe was another for blueberry-glazed ribs, which piqued my interest and became the grand goal if my syrup turned out.
photo & hands belong to my dear friend & fellow blueberry picker, Kelly Vass.
The syrup ingredients were simple enough- 5 cups blueberries, 4 cups water, 2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and a few strips of lemon zest. Yet, the painstaking syrup-making process humbled me into remembering the importance of putting all my ducks (err, cooking tools) in a row before setting out to make ANYTHING. I found myself at a loss for a potato masher to crush the blueberries so I was stuck improvising with a meat tenderizer. Yup.
Alright, so step 1, according to the recipe:
“In a pot, combine the blueberries with 1 cup of the water. Crush the berries with a potato masher and bring to a simmer. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Strain the juice into a heatproof measuring cup, pressing hard on the solids. Discard the solids.”
Aside from the missing potato masher, I realized, after rooting through drawers and cabinets, that I didn’t have a strainer. So, I was left yelling at my absent roommates (scapegoating, nice) and reluctantly settled on….a tea strainer. My process made for a funny scene. Splashed and stained with blueberry juice, ferociously pressing five cups of half-crushed blueberries through a tea strainer, just hoping for the best.
Luckily, all’s well that ends well.
Step 2:
“Rinse out the pot. Add the sugar, lemon zest and the remaining 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil the syrup over moderate heat until it registers 225° on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. Add the blueberry juice and lemon juice and boil over high heat for 1 minute. Let the syrup cool, then discard the lemon zest. Pour the syrup into just-cleaned bottles. Seal and refrigerate for up to 6 months.”
No mishaps at this point. The syrup was lovely, if a little too sweet (even for my taste). I might reduce the sugar next time.
A few days later, I set out to make the blueberry glazed ribs. Instead of babyback, I settled for spareribs, but the recipe was still a huge success. This dish is SO flavorful, with a glaze created from a medley of blueberry syrup, butter, red wine vinegar, onion, garlic, sage, thyme…annnnnd hot sauce. Sticky, fruity & naturally sweet…with a bite. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll make it again- and soon.
Making the glaze
Finished product: Blueberry glazed ribs, roasted sweet potatoes, corn slathered with homemade pesto
Drool over the entire recipe here: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/blueberry-glazed-ribs
