This season I will mostly be eating.....Blueberries

Blueberries
Why?
One of the most delicious fruits is also one of the most nutritious and summertime means that all the best berries are in season. While I haven't signed up as a bone fide 'fan', I do love these sweet little gems.

Nutrition
Blueberries have an extremely high antioxidant content (anthocyanidins are responsible for the blue colour- they put the blue in blueberry). Wild (or lowbush) berries have the highest antioxidant activity, but all are good, including dried and frozen.
-High in antioxidants
-High in vitamin C
-High in fibre- mainly the soluble fibre pectin
-Very low in calories

Th white-ish bloom on fresh berries is a natural protective coating. They should be washed just before eating rather than straight out of the pack to keep them as fresh as possible, but they do last much longer than other berries and also hold their shape well in baking and cooking.

Recipes
The simplest thing is to enjoy the little berries like little sweets as a snack.

I like to add them to cereal in the morning or to yogurt with strawberries and raspberries for a delicious low calorie dessert.

Mixed frozen berries are also a great 'storecupboard' item. Add them to smoothies or yogurt straight from the freezer or heat them to have with ice-cream or as a sauce with many desserts.

Blueberries, like strawberries, raspberries and oranges go very well with chocolate and children will love this:
Chocberries
Melt some good quality (70% or more cocoa solids) dark chocolate in a bowl over a pot or bowl of boiling water.
Gently add the rinsed and dried blueberries and stir lightly. Spoon them out onto a baking tray or shallow dish dredged with cocoa powder.
Shake, shake, shake to coat and separate the berries and leave to stand in a cool place or in the fridge. The chocolate will harden very quickly.

The chocberries need to be used within 10 days if stored in the fridge- but this isn't usually a problem. Dark chocolate is also high in different antioxidants- an added nutritional bonus if you need justification.