Pickled Blueberries

Recipe PREP 5 min COOK 10 min

Pickled Blueberries

PREP 5 min COOK 10 min

Description & Benefits

Pickled in a brine infused with fennel and lemon verbena, these sweet-and-sour preserved blueberries are a burst of brightness. Enjoy as a snack or add to salads or cheese plates.

If you’re looking for antioxidants, reach for blueberries. They help shield your cells from damage. Antioxidants can also help keep your heart healthy, particularly for people with elevated cholesterol levels.

Ingredients

1/2 pint MAKES

3/4 cup (about 85 g) blueberries
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/3 cup (80 ml) white wine or rice vinegar
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
2 Tbsp (30 g) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 to 5 lemon verbena leaves, fresh or dried

Directions

Step 1

Put the blueberries in a sterile glass jar and set aside.
Step 2

In a small saucepan, toast the fennel seeds, stirring constantly, over medium heat until they are fragrant, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the fennel seeds to the jar.
Step 3

In a saucepan, add the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt, and increase the heat to medium-high. Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and salt dissolve, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drop in the verbena leaves. Let steep for 5 minutes.
Step 4

Strain the liquid over the blueberries and let cool. Use the pickled blueberries immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 weeks.

About the author

Betty Hallock

Betty is a writer and editor: A journalist who formerly worked at the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Los Angeles magazine, she also has co-authored four cookbooks. Her favorite meal for as long as she can remember has been ochazuke — rice with tea and pickled plum.

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