Fried Blueberries

Six Ways with Blueberries

How would blueberries taste once fried? This recipe came on a whim, as I was frying up a batch of Blueberry Fritters. My girl and I LOVE to make homemade fried pickles, with a savory batter coating. And with a bowl of blueberries waiting unsuspectingly nearby, we decided to strike while the oil was hot.

The berries held up well to the battering process, and the batter held well to the berries! Once we started dropping them into the hot oil however, we realized one drawback: berries + hot oil = berries explosions.

Which then caused mini volcano-like eruptions once the juice hit the hot oil. The first batch finished without injury, and the problem was easily solved by making the oil a little hotter. The batter browned quickly so the berries could be removed before exploding.

Fried blueberries are an interesting treat. They are definitely at their best right after frying, with warm blueberry juice mingling with the slightly salty batter.

I wonder if any of the state fairs are offering fried blueberries among their fried food fare (no need to put them on a stick though.) This could be yet another at-home option for my family for the years we we decide we’re Not going to The Fair. (Click to see what other fair foods I’ve made at home to get our fair food fix!)

P.S. I also tried adding pickle juice to the batter to see how pickle flavor would work with the blueberries. The answer is: not so great! So we’ll keep our fried pickles and fried blueberries separate.

Fried Blueberries

Ingredients:

• 1 c. all-purpose flour, unbleached
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk
• 2 c. fresh blueberries, washed and still damp
• Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl mix the flour and salt together. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl beat the eggs together with the milk. Set aside.
3. Line up the container of blueberries, flour mixture, and wet mixture like an assembly line on a work space near where you will be frying. Also, line a cooling rack or baking sheet with paper towels and place close by. Have a large slotted spatula ready for frying, plus a few slotted spoons or large forks to aid in coating the blueberries in batter.
4. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until it is shimmering.
5. Working quickly, toss a small handful of blueberries into the flour mixture – use a spoon to toss them in the flour and coat them. Lift them from the flour using a slotted spoon or large fork, tap off the excess flour, and transfer them into the egg mixture.
6. Gently push the blueberries through the egg mixture until they are completely coated, then lift them out with a slotted spoon or large fork.
7. Gently drop one coated blueberry into the hot oil. Use the large slotted spatula to gently roll it and brown it all over. You want the oil to be hot enough to brown the outside quickly, in about 10 seconds or so. If the blueberries are in the oil too long they will burst, leaking juice into the oil and causing spatters. If the test blueberry does not brown fast enough increase the heat a little, and try again with another test blueberry.
8. Once you have the oil hot enough, fry the rest of the handful of coated blueberries until lightly browned. Remove them with the large slotted spatula to the paper towels to drain.
9. Repeat the process: coat small batches of blueberries first in flour, then egg mixture, then fry until browned. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all of the blueberries have been battered and fried.
10. Enjoy the blueberries while still warm (that’s when they’re best.) Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to two days.

*Six Of One is a series that highlights Six things to be hungry for. Six ways to use an ingredient, Six variations on a favorite dish, or Six of something else I haven’t thought of yet!. I am always Hungry Enough To Eat Six and I hope you will be too.

Check out these blueberry recipes too!

• Blueberry Muffins with Vanilla Sugar Tops 
• Sugared Blueberry Crunch Cookies
• Blueberries & Cream Rustic Mille Feuille
• Blueberry & Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake
• Blueberry Fritters