EAST RIVER ST. MARY’S, N.S.
Down in East River St. Mary’s, just this side of the Guysborough County line, John Cameron was inspecting a crate of wild blueberries with his sister Audrey Cameron.
A co-owner of AIGAS Farms along with his siblings Audrey and Allan, Cameron said the crop has been about average this year.
The bout of frost that hit the region in June 2018 is still having lingering effects, and this past winter wasn’t ideal growing conditions either, he added: a lack of snow covering resulted in some “winter damage” to the fruit, which grows on AIGAS Farms’ approximately 121 hectares of blueberry fields.
Cameron, who is a staunch proponent of the health benefits of wild blueberries, said the harvesters roared to life on Aug. 19 (hardly anyone uses rakes these days, he added) as seven seasonal workers began collecting the berries, most of which will be trucked to Maine, although some will cross the Northumberland Strait on the way to Prince Edward Island.
“Overall, it’s not looking too bad,” he said of the 2019 crop. “It’s not a huge crop by any stretch, but it’s a decent crop.”
Terry Daley is a dietician with Atlantic Superstore and a columnist with The News. She’s on board with the notion that blueberries provide tremendous health benefit.
“They’re very healthy, like all fruit, and they’re very high in antioxidants, high in fibre,” she said. “Some fruits don’t have as much fibre as blueberries. They’re very helpful, for sure.”
BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE
(courtesy Terry Daley and pc.ca)
Serves: 10
Sour cream coffee cake topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble is a classic.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (125 mL) packed dark brown sugar
5 tbsp. (75 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. (5 mL) cinnamon
3 tbsp. (45 mL) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. (15 mL) baking powder
1 tsp. (5 mL) salt
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) baking soda
1-¼ cups. (300 mL) granulated sugar
1-½ cups. (375 mL) sour cream
1/2 cup. (125 mL) unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
2 tsp. (10 mL) vanilla
2 cups. (500 mL) Blueberries
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 9-inch (2.5 L) springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
2. In bowl, combine brown sugar, 5 tbsp. (75 mL) flour, cinnamon and softened butter. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, sift together 2 cups (500 mL) flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together sugar, sour cream, melted butter, eggs and vanilla; pour over baking powder mixture. Using spatula, fold together just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Scrape mixture into prepared pan. Top with brown sugar mixture.
4. Bake in centre of oven for 45 minutes. Cover loosely with foil; bake another 40 to 45 minutes or until tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack. Unmold. Serve dusted with icing sugar, if desired.
