Saturday, July 17, 2010
Blueberry Pancakes
The markets these days are over-run with berries, especially strawberries and blueberries. Singapore doesn't grow too many fruits and vegetables, leave alone berries; being a land scarce country, most of the food that is consumed here has to be imported.
Consequently, though the markets here have a wide variety food from all over the world throughout the year, some of it does cost quite a bit.
Take, for example, my favourite berries - blueberries. Most of the times, a small packet of blueberries weighing just 125 gms costs around $4.
So, sometimes, when they are available for around $2, it sounds like a real steal. That is when I go and buy several packets and hoard them - by freezing them.
To freeze blueberries (and any other berry), first wash them in water. Gently pat them dry with a kitchen towel. I also let the berries 'air dry' for about an hour. Then, transfer them onto a plate in a single layer - ensure that you don't overcrowd the berries - and then freeze them for 24 hrs in the freezer. (Freezing them in a single layer ensures 2 things - one, the berries get evenly frozen and two, they don't stick to one another).
Then transfer them into re-sealable bags; get as much air out of the bags as possible.
Berries frozen this way can be used for upto 3 months - I am not quite sure if they last longer, I am sure they do but mine got used up and so 3 months is the longest that I can vouch for.
This - the tips on how to freeze berries - is my entry to Jaya's Back to Basics event.
Pancakes don't feature very regularly on our breakfast menu, but are such a welcome change every once in a while. Having frozen blueberries on hand means that I can quickly whip up some blueberry pancakes.
The recipe here is the one I found on the Dairy Farmer's Buttermilk carton; I've tweaked it just a tad bit.
Ingredients:
(makes 8 pancakes)
Self raising flour - 3/4 cup
Whole wheat pastry flour - 3/4 cup
Salt - a pinch
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Caster sugar - 2 tbsps
Buttermilk - 1.5 cups
Egg - 1, lightly beaten
Lemon rind - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp + some more for greasing the pan
(Frozen) Blueberries - 1 cup
Method:
Sift together the flours, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Stir in the caster sugar. Then pour in the liquid ingredients - egg, buttermilk and oil - and beat well to get a smooth batter.
Add the blueberries and the lemon rind and stir to combine. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes.
Pour a couple of ladles of the pancake batter on a greased and heated non stick frying pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the top surface is dotted with bubbles. Flip over and cook for another 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Drizzle some maple syrup or honey over the pancakes and enjoy!
looks delicious and mindblowing.....wonderful pics
ReplyDeletelooks delicious..btw, where do you get pastry flour in singapore?
ReplyDeleteVery comforting breakfast for me. I love pancakes especially with lots of blue berries.. It looks inviting.
ReplyDeleteI love these amaerican pancakes, but hubby and daughter prefer the thin french ones. Wish i could grab this plate from my screen.
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks beautiful (pancake) and thanks for freezing blueberry recipe :)
ReplyDeleteThat looks so so delicious Aqua..I almost feel like eating it right now ..thanks for the freezing tip there..
ReplyDeletehugs and smiles
These look delicious! I made pancakes just the other night but forgot until after we had eaten that we had blueberries in the fridge. Thanks for the freezing tip too.
ReplyDeleteu have a wonderfull space here with lovely collection of recipes and tips...
ReplyDeleteyour blueberry pancake look yummy and tempting...and i liked your mushroom stock storage post too...it will be very usefull for me
if u get time do visit my blog
Satya
http://www.superyummyrecipes.com
Sanyukta,thanks. Glad to liked the pics!
ReplyDeleteSowmya, I buy mine from Cold Storage, nowadays, I use Bob's Red Mill brand for most flours I use.
RV, pancakes with blueberries are the best!
HC, I've never made the french ones - would love to make them though; have you posted them on your blog?
Jaya and Priya, hope the freezing bit works for you as well.
Ann, thanks for visiting; I make pancakes only when I have blueberries!
Satya, thanks for visiting and liking my blog. Hope to see you often :)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNice tips on freezing berries, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAqua, that is a neat trip to freeze blueberries. We too have been getting a lot of them but here they are pretty cheap at the moment and I too hoard them. Except mine get over before I can freeze them! Thank you for the entry.
ReplyDeleteThe pancakes look delicious.
I love blueberries but I don't get fresh / frozen ones where I live.But I do love the blueberry yogurt with real berries,yummm!!!Love this pancake,looks like its calling out to me :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of berries. Thanks for the pan cake recipe. I am always trying new recipes.
ReplyDeletethanks for the tip.. mouthwatering pancakes..
ReplyDeleteHey.. got your comment on DMBLGIT. Send me your email and will give you an alternate address to send it to
ReplyDeleteLovely and tempting treat. Must try it.
ReplyDeleteHi! I live in Singaproe too, but have never seen fresh blueberries here. Would you mind sharing where you got them from? Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteI just ate blueberry pancakes for dinner last night! They are so delicious. Thank you so much for sharing your tips on how to freeze blueberries, because I have a whole bunch I need to freeze and didn't have a clue how to do it. I would have just dumped them in a bag. Good to know to freeze them in a single layer first then transfer to the bag.
ReplyDeleteYummy.. These pancakes look more than delicious! I'm making them as soon as I get my hands on blueberries.:)
ReplyDelete