I had the opportunity to go blueberry picking at a local farm:. Chmielewski Blueberry. After spending so many years in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, it is nice getting to experience the different types of fruits that grow in Texas. I'm used to picking apples, strawberries and cherries. Right now, blueberries and blackberries are in season. And I'm excited for the fall and winter when figs and citrus are ready to be picked.
Chmielewski blueberry farm is super easy to get to from Houston. I recommend getting there early because it fills up quickly (especially with school out, lots of parents towing along their kids for an outing) and there is a lack of parking. Plus you get the first pick of the blueberries. Additionally, wear sturdy shoes and long pants. We went a few days after some heavy rains and it was super swampy with tons of fire ant mounds everywhere. It took a bit of maneuvering to get the blueberry bushes and I still ended up with soaked sneakers. Due to the rains and the cold winter, the blueberry bushes were in full bloom with tons of ripened berries for the picking and many more growing quickly. After an hour of picking and a few photos, we ended up with 14lbs. I tasted a few while picking and they were so sweet. I definitely plan to go back next year because so much better than blueberries you get at the grocery stores plus you are supporting a local farm.
We ended up freezing the majority of the blueberries. However, we kept a few for some blueberry pancakes that same morning. Delicious! I didn't even need syrup for the pancakes, they were so sweet. And the next day, baked some blueberry muffins using a recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. I ended up eating two straight out of the oven. I should have taken a photo of the muffins but I was too excited to try one that I forgot :) I'm looking forward to more baking in the future.
Chmielewski blueberry farm is super easy to get to from Houston. I recommend getting there early because it fills up quickly (especially with school out, lots of parents towing along their kids for an outing) and there is a lack of parking. Plus you get the first pick of the blueberries. Additionally, wear sturdy shoes and long pants. We went a few days after some heavy rains and it was super swampy with tons of fire ant mounds everywhere. It took a bit of maneuvering to get the blueberry bushes and I still ended up with soaked sneakers. Due to the rains and the cold winter, the blueberry bushes were in full bloom with tons of ripened berries for the picking and many more growing quickly. After an hour of picking and a few photos, we ended up with 14lbs. I tasted a few while picking and they were so sweet. I definitely plan to go back next year because so much better than blueberries you get at the grocery stores plus you are supporting a local farm.
We ended up freezing the majority of the blueberries. However, we kept a few for some blueberry pancakes that same morning. Delicious! I didn't even need syrup for the pancakes, they were so sweet. And the next day, baked some blueberry muffins using a recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. I ended up eating two straight out of the oven. I should have taken a photo of the muffins but I was too excited to try one that I forgot :) I'm looking forward to more baking in the future.
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| Blueberry pancakes - before and after |
