Preserving the flavors of summer… We look forward to visiting Maine every summer! The weather is beautiful, the food is fantastic and there are always fun activities to enjoy (including making blueberry jam). Time just seems to slow down there and everyone relaxes. We are able to leave our hectic schedules at home and just slow down. It’s as if time is suspended in mid-air when we are there. We are able to enjoy some of the simple pleasures of the summer. If you have never visited, the summer is the perfect time. Some of these simple pleasures are activities such as swimming on a warm summer afternoon, digging for clams to make chowder, and picking blueberries for pancakes, muffins, and our favorite, blueberry jam. Our Maine summer activities are only dependent on the tides, the weather, and our whim. One way to capture the flavor of Maine is to make, can and serve delicious blueberry jam. We process our jam in 8 oz jars so we can share a little bit of Maine with others. Here is the recipe for our lower sugar blueberry jam. https://shookhillsecret.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/466C8A5B-3A70-4A08-B2B3-2E5F2652BBE1-1.mov Early August is typically the best time of the year for blueberries in Maine. One of our traditions is picking blueberries and turning the fruit into delicious blueberry jam. The blueberries grow on bushes like clusters of grapes in this part of the country. Everyone gets involved in the process from planting and picking, to jam production and canning then, of course – sampling. This tradition is a favorite and the spoils are shared with family and friends throughout the year.
Cooking
Homemade ice cream…
There is something wonderful about homemade ice cream. Several years ago my husband was on on a trip and heard a radio program about an entrepreneur who was making her own unique flavored ice cream. The program inspired him to research ice cream makers. Later that month, for my birthday, I received a great little Cuisinart ice cream machine and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream book. The recipes in her book have been an inspiration for many of the flavors we have made. Over the years, we have made some wonderful flavored ice cream using fresh local and some family favorite ingredients. When we travel during the summer, we inevitably find small ice cream or gelato shops along or way. Although we do have our favorites like Down East Ice Cream in Boothbay Harbor, Maine or The Juice Bar in Nantucket. Since we were not able to travel this summer, we made good use of our little machine. We have made some wonderful flavors including strawberry, blueberry, peach and fig. These flavors have been added to some of our traditional favorites like lemon with a blueberry swirl, Thai peanut, and Oreo. We also added a waffle cone maker to our small kitchen appliances because, what’s ice cream if not in a delicious waffle cone and covered in guittard sprinkles.