Organic Blueberries from Sunset Valley Organics: May 2017 News & Updates

What a wet spring we have been having!

Oregon is home to rain but some sun every once in a while would be nice too! With a little luck the fields will start drying out and we can get on with preparing for the coming harvest. The rain has caused us some disruptions, but the berries have been doing well with all the wet weather and our blueberries are starting to bloom.

WE HAVE NEW PRODUCTS!

What a great reception we have received from our powders! We are so happy to hear that so many of you enjoy them! For those who missed last months newsletter, we have new berry powders up in the shop. You can now purchase:

Our berry powders are a supercharged way of getting your daily fruits into your diet. You can mix our powders into baking, oatmeal, smoothies, milk, ice cream, and more! Just like our dried berries, there are no additives or preservatives, so we're keeping the product as natural and nutritious as possible!

*Note: Our powders are not soluble*

We've also added a new size to our powders. Now you can purchase all of our powder varieties in 2 lbs. quantities for $110.00.

We would also like to mention that our free shipping amount has increased to $235.00 after coupons are applied. Our spreads and frozen do not qualify for free shipping.

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Changes Are Coming:

Most of you are aware that last summer we were crazy busy during harvest. In the summer of 2016 we harvested about 2 million pounds of fruit, this year we are projecting at least 3 million. With that much fruit to be harvested we have had to make some hard choices in where to cut back so a balance can be achieved. This has resulted in our decision to not have a U-Pick this summer. We are sad that we can not continue, but our harvest is our first priority.

We will still be offering already picked & washed blueberries in 30 pound boxes and 5 pound bags. For these you pull around to our office and we help you there. The price for those this year will be the same as in the past at $100 (30 pound box).

We would like to thank everyone who has come out and supported us over the years. We hope you will continue to enjoy our berries.

We will have a blog post late May/early June about all the changes we are making why we are making them.

And did you see our delicious post this month? No-Bake, Nutrient Dense Energy Bites! YUM!

Our normal office hours are:

Monday - Friday 10 am to 4 pm PST

Cold Weather Shipping

Cold Weather Shipping is still going! Since spring is here, if the temperature gets above 75 degrees where you are please call us and we will discuss if it's safe to ground ship berries to you. May is the last month we will be able to ship, and it might not even be available the whole month. It just depends on what the temperature decides to do.

Thank you to everyone who has taken advantage of our Cold Weather Shipping!

For those who are new to this, every year when it’s cold (nation-wide) we are able to send our frozen berries by ground rather than 2 day air, which saves a lot of money! We can only offer this while it’s cold out, usually fall through the early part of spring.

You do need to call us if you would the ground shipping though. Our online store is not set up for it. You can call us at 541-752-0460 Monday through Friday 10 am to 4 pm Pacific Standard Time.

**PLEASE NOTE: We are not responsible for shipping delays due to weather conditions**

LEMON BLUEBERRY SWIRL CHEESECAKE

Original Recipe from quartzandleisure.com

Ingredients:

BLUEBERRY FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Cups fresh blueberries
1 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 oz. water

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1.5 Cups Graham cracker crumbs (I used all 3 blocks from the package – we’ll reserve some of the leftover crumbs for topping)
1/3 Cup melted butter

CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS:

3 Packages cream cheese (8 oz. each)
1 Cup sugar
3 Eggs
1 tsp. Pure vanilla extract
Zest of 2 lemons
1 Cup heavy cream (or whipping cream)

Instructions:

BLUEBERRY FILLING DIRECTIONS:

Pour blueberries & sugar into a pot over medium-high heat. Simmer for about 10 mins.
Add the cornstarch to the water and mix well. Pour this into the berries.
Continue to stir until it thickens up.
Remove from stove and allow to cool completely (approx 1 hour).

CRUST DIRECTIONS:

Place graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and smash into crumbs.
Measure 1.5 cups of crumbs and mix with the melted butter until evenly coated.
Press into the bottom of a spring form pan and set aside.

CHEESECAKE DIRECTIONS:

Mix cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix for 30 seconds before adding the next egg.
Blend in the vanilla extract and the lemon zest.
Add in the heavy cream and mix until competely smooth.
Scrape down the bowl and give the batter one last mix at HIGH speed for 1 minute.
Pour over the graham cracker crust.
Make a foil “nest” that the pan will sit in while cooking.
Cook the cheesecake for 65-80 minutes at 300° or until the surface no longer looks shiny.
Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temp before moving it to the fridge to cool completely.
Serve with fresh whipped cream and garnish with the remaining graham cracker crumbs.