It’s harvesting time in Romania for
\nblueberries, dark blue fruits of a small shrub with a height of 30 … 50 cm,
\nwhich we can be found in shady areas, in forests. Compared to cultivated
\nblueberries, the wild ones are slightly smaller, with an average diameter of
\nhalf a cm, which makes them difficult to harvest. The inhabitants of the
\nCarpathians use a so-called comb, in fact a wooden or metal box similar to a
\nscythe, provided with a comb that holds the blueberries inside, without
\ndestroying the bush. Blueberries contain, among other things, tannin and
\nvitamin C, being recommended for those with diabetes, but also for those with
\nintestinal problems due to their antibacterial properties.<\/p>\n
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Blueberries
\ncan be eaten fresh, but also turned into jam, juice or ‘afinata’ an alcoholic
\nsweet beverage prepared especially in Bucovina and Transylvania and appreciated
\nby tourists visiting these provinces. To prepare this beverage we need 2 kg of
\nblueberries, one kg of sugar and a big jug in which to put blueberries and
\nsugar. The jug is left to sit for a few days, after which it has to be stirred
\nso that the sugar mixes and dissolves in the juice left by the blueberries. The
\noperation must be repeated every two … three days, but the jug must not be
\nclosed because a process of fruit fermentation takes place inside. After about
\ntwo weeks, refined food alcohol is poured over the blueberries, which are now
\ncovered with juice, and the jug must be closed tightly this time and stored in
\na cool, dark place. ‘Afinata’ is recommended for those with stomach or
\nintestinal disorders, but should be consumed in moderation. A similar drink can
\nbe obtained by replacing blueberries with strawberries, in fact wild strawberries,
\nalso found in mountainous areas, but on sunny surfaces, at the edge of the
\nforest.<\/p>\n
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After
\nconsuming the drink, the fruit left in the jug can be used for muffins. To bake
\nmuffins we need a quarter of a
\nkilo of flour, two eggs, 100 grams of butter and a glass of milk or 400 grams
\nof cream, 50 grams of sugar, the equivalent of 8 tablespoons, 5 grams of baking
\npowder, a pinch of baking soda, vanilla essence. Break the eggs and mix them
\nwith the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda
\nand vanilla essence and mix to obtain a dough slightly thicker than that for
\npancakes. Add the blueberries, mix gently and then put a muffin tin and leave
\nfor 20 minutes in the oven over medium heat, ie at 180 degrees Celsius. <\/p>\n
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Blueberries
\ncan also be used to make juice and syrup. For blueberry syrup, we need one kg
\nof blueberries and two kg of sugar. Wash the blueberries, mash them and mix the
\njuice with sugar, in a bowl. Keep it on low heat until the sugar melts. When it
\nstarts to boil, leave the syrup to cook for another half an hour and add a
\nlittle bit of lemon juice. Then pour the syrup into bottles and cover them
\nwell. Let them cool slowly. Mix the syrup with plain or mineral water. <\/p>\n
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Blueberries
\nare also perfect to make jam. the preparation method being similar to those of
\nother fruits. The jam can be used as a pancake filling or on top of other
\ncakes, such as the traditional ‘papanasi’. Enjoy! <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Blueberries can be eaten fresh, but also turned into jam, juice or ‘afinata’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":174907,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45767],"tags":[46041,46040],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-174906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-cooking-show","tag-afinata","tag-blueberries"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n