are several farms within a short drive from Moultrie and blueberry season is typically late May through mid-July, all depending on the weather, of course.
Now, the blueberries that are native to Georgia are the variety called Rabbit-eyes and it was UGA horticulturalist Tom Brightwell who started breeding wild Rabbit-eye blueberries in the 1940s. The work was continued, after his retirement in the 1970s, by UGA Professor Scott NeSmith and other faculty members. They also collaborated with Georgia farmers. NeSmith focused his work on blueberries that could be harvested by machine, were disease and pest-resistant and could grow larger.
According to UGA, the state’ s annual capacity is 150 million pounds of blueberries a year. Also in his article, Kichler stated that blueberry bushes will yield as much as two gallons of berries per bush, once they hit their sixth year after transplanting. Then the yield will continue to increase for several years as the plants get larger.
Now, back to how delicious these sweet summer jewels are. One of my favorite desserts that my Nanny made and now my Mom makes for us is Blueberry Yum Yum. In fact, some of my cousins have requested that Mom make it and bring it to family get-togethers. If I describe it, most of you are probably familiar with the recipe and some folks use cherries instead of blueberries. It’ s probably in many local church and club cookbooks and sometimes under a different name. Now, to be honest my Mom and Nanny use canned blueberries( pie filling) because, well, it’ s easier. I prefer, however, to use fresh blueberries and sugar them down myself. This delicious dessert is pretty simple. It’ s just alternating layers of blueberries, sweetened whipped cream cheese and Cool Whip all on top of a crisp pecan crust in a casserole dish. One year, for the Fourth of July, I used what we call a“ trifle bowl” and layered it in that with alternating canned blueberries and canned cherries to give it a decorative patriotic look. I’ m sharing the recipe that my Mom and Nanny use because nothing says summer to me like Blueberry Yum Yum.
BlueBerry Yum Yum
INGREDIENTS
1 8 oz cream cheese 1 8 oz Cool whip 1 cup sugar 1 / 4 cup milk 1 8 oz can of blueberry pie filling
* Georgia is third in the U. S. for growing blueberries, with a farm gate value of more than $ 526 million.
Crust 1 cup self-rising flour 1 stick of butter 1 / 2 cup of chopped pecans
DIRECTIONS
1. Mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Then, mix in milk and, next, mix in the Cool Whip.
2. Mix flour and pecans, then, melt butter and mix it in. Mash the mixture down into a small, glass baking dish. Bake at about 350 degrees until it’ s golden brown. Then, let it cool.
3. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the crust, then add a layer of the blueberries and finish with a layer of the rest of the cream cheese mixture.
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