What the heck is Blueberry Grunt?

August is Blueberry month in Maggie's world.

What do YOU do with blueberries?

Foods in my books, including The Left-Behind Bride, are often specific dishes found in the community around Bridgewater, Lunenburg, and Riverport. Dishes called Hodge Podge, Solomon Gundy and Blueberry Grunt are commonplace there.

August through September is the blueberry season and the berries are prolific and delicious. If you’ve never had Blueberry Grunt, you're in for a hot, steamy, blueberry treat that rivals blueberry muffins. My mother made it is the pressure cooker or a large pot with a tight lid. Some people make it in a cast iron frypan and a lid. The name comes from the popping sound made by the blueberries as they heat up. Here’s a recipe.

BLUEBERRY GRUNT

 (From the Pages of Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens, collected by Marie Nightingale, 1975 printing)

The Sauce

•  ·        1 Quart of blueberries
• ·         1/2 cup of sugar (more to taste optional)
• ·         1/2 cup of water

Put berries, sugar, and water in a pot, cover and boil gently until there is plenty of juice.

   

 The Dumplings

•   ·       2 cups flour
• ·         4 teaspoons baking powder
• ·         1/2 teaspoon salt
• ·         1 teaspoon sugar
• ·         1 tablespoon butter
• ·         1 tablespoon shortening
• ·         1/4 to 1/3 cup milk

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into a bowl. (I put it in and whisk it instead of sifting.) Cut in the butter and shortening and add enough milk to make a soft biscuit dough. (A bit dampish.)

Drop by spoonfuls onto the hot blueberries. Cover closely (tightly) and do not peek for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHEN AND WHERE TO GET NS BLUEBERRIES GO TO:

 https://www.nswildblueberries.com/ 

This blueberry trivia comes from their site.

Wild Blueberry Trivia

• Nova Scotia's provincial production is over forty million pounds.
• The wild blueberry is the number 1 fruit crop in acreage export sales, and value.
• Oxford is the wild blueberry capital of Canada.
• Wild blueberries are high in antioxidants which have many health benefits including anti-aging effects, cancer inhibiting properties, heart health, urinary tract health, vision health.
• Nova Scotia wild blueberries are exported to the United States, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom and other countries.
• Harvesting of wild blueberries begins in August and continues until late September.

by Mahrie G. Reid, Author