Blueberries…Fresh Fruit Season is Here!

Summer is beginning to blanket southern New Jersey. Blueberries are fattening up and turning from hard, green knobs to delicious, soft purple goodness.

Here is my quick, easy, and delicious recipe for Blueberry Sauce. I serve it spooned over spongecake or pound cake and topped with a dollop of whipped cream. The sauce turns plain old vanilla ice cream into a simple, but elegant dessert. And it sure sparks up a serving of yogurt!

~ BLUEBERRY SAUCE ~

2 cups fresh blueberries (you can use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer – just add another 1/4 cup of berries)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons of water

A squeeze of fresh lemon to taste

Combine blueberries, water, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer 3 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch that has been dissolved in water. Simmer 2 more minutes. Add lemon juice to taste – or leave it out if you have a super sweet tooth. Also: some people simply love cinnamon. Add a dash if it suits you.

Allow to cool, then refrigerate. NOTE: The sauce may appear thin, but it will thicken as it gets cold.

Fun Fact: President Ronald Reagan visited Hammonton, New Jersey in 1984. The small southern New Jersey farming community of 13,000 cheered when the president referred to Hammonton as “the blueberry capital of the world.” The local newspaper reported that “when he was done his speech, he went into the bank for refreshments and asked his Secret Service guys, ‘Hey guys, where’s that blueberry pie?'” Take that, Jelly Bellys!