In honor of the 4th of July, here’s a festive little pickled blueberry recipe. There’s something about pickling fruit that is so easy – generally very little prep compared to vegetables – and these pickled blueberries may be my favorite pickled fruit so far! Fitting as I’m exactly halfway through my pickle a week adventure and I’ve definitely pickled some weird things. But I would call these a great success – have a berry fun and festive 4th!
I created this recipe because I hadn’t used juniper berries for a while (since pickled apples) and wanted to try them with another fruit, but here is a somewhat similar Saveur recipe. I also only used a shallot for one of the jars – good with or without Finally, a warning: juniper berries can blend in and look like very small blueberries that have risen to the top – careful!
Pickled Blueberry Recipe
Makes 2 pints
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp juniper berries per 1 pint
- 1 shallot
- 18 oz. blueberries (3 of the standard containers sold in grocery stores; also just under 4 lbs.)
Instructions:
- Bring the water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boil until salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Set aside to cool.
- Rinse and drain blueberries. Pick out any particularly mushy-looking ones as they’ll only deteriorate more whence being pickled.
- Measure out juniper berries into jars (remember, 1 tsp per pint so only 1/2 tsp if using smaller jars).
- If using shallots, thinly slice and add to jars – about 1 small shallot per pint.
- Fill jars with blueberries.
- Pour brine over contents of the jars.
- Recommended use: refrigerate jars; these are great chilled. Should be ready within a day or two.
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