"Mike Lyle" wrote
Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
Roger Tonkin wrote:
sacha says...
Roger Tonkin said:
I am growing these this year in mid Wales for the first time. i
have two different varieties, with a good crop on each, but......

How do I know when they are ripe and ready to pick?

At the moment I have them varying from a pinkish green thought to
slate blue.


Try tasting the darker ones.

Tried that, they are very bland, not much taste, but then never
having bothered with Blueberries before, I must confest that I dont
know what they are supposed to taste like!


They vary a lot depending on variety. They reach their tastiest stage
a day or two before they go soggy! Pick them when they are just a bit
soft.

To me, they taste like artificial flavouring --the kind of thing Americans
seem to like, but otherwise a waste of effort unless you have to find
something to grow on an acid soil. Oh, but I now remember they do actually
go nicely in the same mouthful as a piece of dark chocolate, so I imagine
a very good tart could be devised...googles...

I find, of course, that I'm not the first to combine them: here's a cake
from NZ.
http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=...ocolate%20cake

But I fancy mixing the berries, lightly cooked, into a good old tarte au
chocolat like this one:
http://frenchfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/choctart.htm


Lovely first thing in the morning on top of your "proper" porridge made with
rolled oats (no salt or sugar) with a little cinnamon and some broken walnut
kernels.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK