Organic Blueberries from Sunset Valley Organics

Cream Puffs with Lemon Mousse & Blueberry Sauce

2012-02-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
For the cream Puffs:
1 cup water
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, plus one large egg lightly been 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Coarse sanding sugar, or sprinkling
For The Blueberry Sauce:
2 cups (1 pint) SVO blueberries
½ cup water
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon coarse salt
For The Lemon Mousse:
¾ cup lemon curd (recipe follows)
½ cup heavy cream, whipped

1. Make the cream puffs: pre-oven to 400°. Combine water, butter, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, and remove from heat. Stir flour until combined, and return to medium heat. (this mixture is called panade.)

2. Dry the panade by stirring constantly for 4 minutes. It is ready when it pulls away from the sides and film forms on the bottom of the pan.

3. Transfer to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix on low until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add 4 eggs, one at a time, incorporating each completely before adding the next. Lightly beat fifth egg, and add a little at a time until batter is smooth and shiny. Test by touching it with your finger and lifting to form a string. If a string does not form, the batter needs more eggs. If you’ve added all the eggs and the batter still doesn’t form a string, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it does.

4. Using a pastry bag fitted with a plain ½-inch round tip, pipe ten 2 ½ inch rounds of batter onto parchment lined baking sheets. Brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350*, and bake until puffed and golden and centers are dry, about 35 minutes more. Let cool on wire rack.

5. Make the blueberry sauce: Bring 1 cup blueberries, the water, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer until most of the berries have burst, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining cup blueberries, and crush lightly.

6. Make the lemon mousse: Lightly whisk lemon curd, and fold on whipped cream using a rubber spatula. Halve each cream puff, and fill bottoms with lemon-mousse. Spoon on Blueberry sauce replace tops and serve.

Lemon Curd
Ingredients
1 large egg, plus 3 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 Lemons)
Pinch of Salt
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
Whisk together egg, yolks sugar, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Bring to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture is thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Whisk in butter. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of lemon curd, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

The paleo (Caveman) Diet

2012-01-25T13:14:00.001-08:00

A Paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, is all about natural foods to have better health. The human body evolved for more than 2 million years with the food found in nature: game meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs and nuts. Blueberries are a great snack food for this diet. In this diet it is recommended to eat mostly fruits low in sugar and high in antioxidants like berries. Blueberries are a wonderful source of high antioxidants.

To learn more about the Paleo diet visit:

http://paleodietlifestyle.com/paleo-101/

Organic Blueberries vs. Conventional Blueberries

2012-01-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

Blueberries grown organically had a significantly higher sugar content (fructose and glucose), malic acid, total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity than fruit grown conventionally.
Blueberries in general have health benefits, but are organic blueberries even better than conventionally grown ones?A collaborative project between the US Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University attempted to answer that question, and the results came in the form of a recent publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The results where :

Cultivation Method	Fructose (mg/g)	Glucose (mg/g)	Citric Acid (mg/g)	Malic Acid (mg/g)	ORAC (mg/g)
Organic	97.06	45.53	3.47	0.043	46.14
Conventional	79.26	29.72	3.14	0.029	30.76

These results do suggest that organic blueberries are better for you.

To find out more information about organic vs. conventional visit http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2008/07/are-organic-blueberries-better-for-you.ars

Blueberry cream cheese coffeecake

2012-01-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 cup fresh or frozen SVO blueberries, rinse if fresh
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks, plus more for butter in the pan
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 large eggs
6oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a 1 to 2quart pan over medium heat, bring blueberries in Apple juice to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until blueberries have released their juices, about 3 minutes. In a small bowl, blend cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water. Add to blueberry mixture; stir until it's simmers and thickens, about 1 minute. Let cool to room temperature.

2. In a bowl or food processor, mix or whirl flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Add butter to flour mixture. Cut in with a pastry blender or pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup; pour remaining into a large bowl and stir in baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon peel.

3. In a bowl, mix yogurt, vanilla, and one egg until blended; stir into flour baking powder mixture until Incorporated. Spread batter in a buttered 9 inch round cake pan with a removable rim.

4. In a bowl or food processor beat with an electric mixer on high speed or whirl cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, remaining egg, and lemon juice until smooth. Spread over batter in pan, leaving a 1/2 inch border bare. Gently spread blueberry mixture over the cream cheese mixture leaving some cream cheese visible. Stir almonds into reserved flour mixture and sprinkle over cake, concentrating most around edge of batter.

5. Bake until center of cake barely jiggles when pan is gently shaken and top of cake is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool on rack for 15 minutes, then remove pan REM. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Blueberry Crumble

2012-01-16T09:02:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

3 pints SVO blueberries
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1.4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Zest of 1 lemon
Lemon Juice (optional)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Combine berries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and zest; toss gently. Add lemon juice if berries are not tart enough. Spoon fruit mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole dish
3. Combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or two knifes until mixture resemble coarse meal. Sprinkle over fruit.
4. Bake until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly in the center, about 45 minutes. Serves 6

Pruning On The Farm

2012-01-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

Every year in January, here on the farm, the crew takes on a big project, pruning our Blueberry bushes. It is done at this time of year because the plants are dormant. Annual pruning is required to maintain blueberry plant strength and productivity. Proper pruning balances the production of strong, new wood while maintaining good fruit production. When pruning it’s important to take about 50% of the fruit buds out. This allows more energy to focus on the new bud growth to let them flourish. Removing all the smaller twiggy branches is an advantage to new growth because it’s gives bigger twigs that have more diameters more energy and room to grow. Weak twiggy wood generally has few buds and produces small berries.

Easy Steps to take when pruning:

1. Remove low growth that would touch the ground when loaded with fruit. Cut of short, soft, new shoots that developed from the base of the plant late in the season.

2. Cut out weak, twiggy wood from the top, middle and outer parts of the plant. Remove enough wood from the top to let light down into the plant center.

3. If your plants tend to overbear, thin the fruit buds by trimming back some of the small shoots carrying

heavy load of flower buds. Blueberry flower buds are near the tips of the past season’s growth.

Location of fruit buds and vegetative buds (leaf buds) on dormant blueberry plants:
Fruit buds-large, plump and located on the terminal 2
to 3 inches of shoots
Vegetative buds (leaf Buds) -small, pointed and located on the basal part of shoots

1 Pruning severity may need to be adjusted to balance the production of good, high quality crop adequate growth for ensuring year’s crop. Bob Wilt (owner) has been pruning for 35+ years, so its second nature for him. Experience is the best guide on how much to prune. Weak bushes require more pruning then vigorous bushes because pruning stimulates vegetative growth.

Crew Member Pruning Blueberry Bushes

2Source

Grilled Blueberry Upside-Down Corn Cake

2012-01-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
1 stick (4-oz) unsalted butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ¼ cup SVO Blueberries
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

1. In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons each butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until dissolved, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cherries.

2. Preheat a grill to medium. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ cup brown sugar, the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the buttermilk and egg.

3. In a microwave, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Stir onto the batter until smooth. Spoon the batter on top of the blueberries and spread evenly. Place the skillet on the grill and cook, covered, until the cake is springy to the touch and golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

4. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a platter. Let cool completely before cutting.

Blueberry Lime Friands

2011-12-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 stick butter
1/2 cup shelled, blanched whole hazelnuts
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
finely grated peel of 2 limes
1 2/3 cups SVO Blueberries
4 large egg whites
Lime Syrup:
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 small lime
3 tablespoons sugar
1 9 cup friend pan, well buttered

1. Preheat oven to 400° turn. Melt butter in a small pan and let cool slightly. Whiz the hazelnuts in a blender until finely ground. Set the confectionery sugar and flour into a large mixing bowl stir in the ground hazelnuts, lime peel, and blueberries.

2. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks using a large metal spoon, fold half the egg whites into the flour mixture with half the melted butter - be as gentle as you can be. Fold in the other half of the egg whites and melt the butter.

3. Spoon the batter onto the cups of the prepared friand pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 min.

4. To make the lime syrup, heat the lime juice and sugar together in a small pan, stirring until all sugar has dissolved. Let the baked friands cool for 5 min., then make a few holes in the top of each using the point of a small sharp knife. Drizzle a little of the lime syrup over each of the warm cakes, allowing it to seep into the holes. Leave the friands in the pan until completely cool, before running a knife around edges and turning them out.

Blueberries May Control Breast Cancer Tumor Growth

2011-12-28T08:39:00.000-08:00

Blueberries May Reduce Tumor Growth Between 60-to-75 Percent!

The study found that the oral intake of blueberries could reduce the growth and metastasis of a very aggressive form of breast cancer (triple-negative cancer) - for which there are very few effective drugs. When researchers applied blueberry extracts to cancer cells in the laboratory it appeared to stop the growth and spread of a tumor.

To Find out more about How Blueberries can help in Breast Cancer Visit the Following Websites:

1. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/cancer-researchers-say-blueberries-may-control-breast-cancer-tumor-growth-2011-09-26
2. http://www.preparedfoods.com/articles/blueberries-on-breast-cancer
3. http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/blueberries-may-reduce-growth-breast-cancer
4. http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/health/your_health&id=7388978

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Sunset Valley Organics is Wishing You
a Healthy Merry Christmas

Be Sure to check out our recipes to spice up your Holiday cooking!

Blueberry Christmas Trifle

2011-12-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

homemade yellow cake, sliced into five layers
SVO Blueberry Spread
3 pints SVO Blueberries
1 pint cream, sweetened and whipped
favorite liquor (optional)

1. In a trifle bowl, layer yellow cake, rub liquor on yellow cake (optional), smear with layer of SVO Spread, cover with SVO blueberries, top with whipped cream. Repeat this step until to the top of trifle bowl. Finish with whipped cream on top. Garnish with blueberries.

Blueberries Helping the Immune System

2011-12-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

Our body is always fighting off bad germs and microorganisms to help prevent us from getting sick. The body’s immune system is made up of sells, proteins, tissues and organs. Normal immune systems will allow our body to keep us healthy and to prevent from illness. So how do blueberries help your immune system? Blueberries are full of antioxidants, vitamins A,C,E and B. They also contain lost of minerals. The high concentration of antioxidants not only strengthens your immune system, but it may protect from cancer cell growth, cardiovascular disease and urinary tract infections.

Reminder! Hurry Order Now!

2011-12-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

Hurry & Order Now!
Time is running out if you want your Blueberry goodies to arrive to you before Christmas.
Order before noon on December 16th, to ensure your order will reach you before Christmas.
FedEx Ground may take up to 7 days to reach some parts of the US.

We have a wonderful variety of Gift Boxes for everybody!
All Gift Boxes include our excellent Organic Blueberry Products.

(Gift Boxes comes in different sizes and assortments)
Add your Own Personal Message to be attached to your Gift Box

Cranberry Blondie's

2011-12-15T13:46:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
½ cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1cup all purpose flour
½ cup SVO Dried Cranberries
½ cup coarsely chopped while chocolate
½ cup fresh cranberries
1 recipe Cinnamon Whipped Cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line an 11X7X 1 ½-inch or a 9X9X2-inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl beat butter with wire whisk or electric mixer until softened/ Whisk or beat in sugars, baking powder, soda, and salt. Whisk or beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. With whisk, or with electric mixer on low speed, beat in flour.
3. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with fresh cranberries; press in lightly with a spatula. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
4. Cool on wire rack 1 hour. Lift with foil to remove from pan. Cut into bars. Serve with Cinnamon Whipped cream. Makes 12 bars

Blueberries Helping In Diabetes

2011-12-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Almost 10% of people in our country have diabetes. Diabetes means that your blood glucose or also known as blood sugar is too high. The body needs glucose to fuel your body. The foods and diet you consume is where the glucose comes from. Have too much or too little glucose in your body can result in problems. Diabetes is the 7^th most common cause of death. When people don’t control their blood sugar is can lead to numerous disease, such as, blindness, kidney diseases, and high blood pressure. Having diabetes means you need to get into a healthy diet routine. Blueberries can be a great part of your diet, to help you maintain your diabetes. Compounds that are found in blueberries may help with prediabetes (the state in which some but not all of the diagnostic criteria for diabetes are met) by making the body more responsive to insulin.

American Diabetes Association   Fruit Exchange:
   ¾ cup of Fresh Blueberries = 15 grams of carbohydrates and 60 calories.
  ¼ cup of Dried blueberries = 15 grams of carbohydrate and 60 calories.

To help manage your diabietes better visit http://www.diabetes.org/

Blueberry Cookie Bars

2011-12-08T11:07:00.001-08:00

Ingredients
2 ¼ cup flour
1 cup blanched sliced almonds
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ stick (6oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cold egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup blueberry SVO Spread

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Line a 9-inch baking pan with a 12-inch-long sheet of foil. Using a food processor, mix the flour, almonds, sugar, baking soda and salt until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Beat together the egg and vanilla; drizzle over the dough mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and knead with your finger tips until clumpy.
2. Transfer two-thirds of the dough to the pan and press into the bottom to form an even layer. Spread the SVO Spread on top. Dot the top with the remaining dough in clumps.
3. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely. Turn out of the pan, remove the foil and cut into squares. Makes 16 Bars.

Eating Blueberries Helps in Building Healthy Bones!

2011-12-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Studies are showing that the heavenly goodness inside blueberries have a great out come for strong and healthy bones. The studies are still undergoing, but the outcome looks great. Polyphenols,is a compound within the blueberry that give its color, such as blue, purple, and red. Polyphenols is what could help in the building of strong bones. Research is still in progress, but hopes are high for blueberries being able to be used in treatments to help develop bone mass and to help prevent osteoporosis.

To follow up on this exciting new research visit:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621114143.htm

Blueberry Cheese Spread

2011-11-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Ingredients
½ cup dried SVO blueberries
1 cup boiling water
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
6oz blue cheese, coarsely crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
Assorted whole grain crackers or cracker bread, broken

1. Place dried berries in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over berries. Let Stand 1 minutes. Drain; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and blue cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until nearly smooth. Stir in drained blueberries, green onions, and garlic just until combined. Transfer spread to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours before serving. To serve, sprinkle with pecans and serve with crackers.

Blueberries Promote A Healthy Living Choice

2011-11-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

Medical costs can play a big role in some people’s lives. Wouldn’t it be great to prevent or slowly decline an illness without having that expensive bill attached to it? Everyday blueberries are being researched for multiple health benefits. Research shows that blueberry phytonutrients (chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants) can have a big impact in the brain. Blueberries could be the safer and less expensive approach to treating and maybe even preventing neurodegenerative disorders and dementia. Brunswick Laboratories says, “According to recent studies, organically grown blueberries appear to yield significantly more phytonutrients and demonstrate greater antioxidant activity than blueberries grown conventionally”

Here is some Interesting Fact You Want to Know about Blueberries:

1. Blueberry phytonutrients exert their health-promoting effects via complex biochemical mechanisms that counteract oxidative stress, decrease inflammation, and modulate genes associated with a myriad of disease processes.
2. Blueberry is best studied as an agent of neurological support. Research suggests that blueberry phytonutrients attenuate age-related declines in cognitive and motor function, augment brain plasticity, limit brain damage after ischemic stroke, and may one day play a role in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
3. Blueberry phytonutrients may also safeguard cardiovascular health by decreasing total serum cholesterol and fighting high blood pressure.
4. Fermented blueberry extracts can function as insulin potentiators. Diabetics taking a commercial preparation of blueberry and other extracts significantly lowered their fasting plasma glucose levels.
5. Blueberry leaves contain polyphenols that demonstrate alpha-amylase inhibitor activity and may represent an encouraging adjunctive treatment for type 2 diabetes.
6. The juice of blueberries, as well as a number of other berry fruits, significantly inhibits in vitro proliferation of prostate, breast, intestinal, and gastric cancer. Pterostilbene, a phenolic compound found in blueberries, shows promise against colon cancer in animal and laboratory models.
7. Low molecular-weight phenols found in blueberries boost colon health by altering bacterial metabolism. 8. Blueberry consumption was shown to improve several parameters of disease activity in a model of colitis.Merging research also indicates that blueberry phytonutrients may help combat liver inflammation, vascular disease, and osteoporosis.

All the following in formation can be found at : http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2009/feb2009_Blueberries_01.htm

Blueberry Cheese Cake Bites

2011-11-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

Bottom Layer:
4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 egg at room temperature
3 tablespoons butter (1 stick) melted but at room temperature
1 box (18.25oz) French Vanilla cake mix

Filling:
1 (8oz) packages cream cheese at room temperature
3 eggs at room temperature
1 ½ cups powder sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pound SVO Fresh/Frozen Blueberries
* Preheat oven to 350*F. Line mini-muffin pans with paper.

For Bottom:
Cream 4oz of cream cheese, 1 egg and butter tighter on low speed about 1 minutes or until combined. Blend in cake mix by hand until combined. It will be thick but pliable. Press 1 tsp. mix into bottom of each mini-muffin paper.

For the Topping:
Place cream cheese, 3 eggs, powdered sugar and vanilla in a small bowl. Begin mixing on low speed until sugar is incorporates. Increase to medium speed and beat until smooth, at least 3 minutes or longer if needed. Drop about ½ tablespoon of mix into each muffin cup over vanilla base. Press 2 to 3 SVO blueberries into the filling in each muffin. Bake at 350*F for 15-17 minutes. Cool completely before serving. Makes about 6-7 dozen mini-cheesecakes.

Dried Blueberry Advantages

2011-11-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

Dried Blueberry Advantages

Most people know fruits and vegetables are important to keep a healthy diet. Blueberries are one of the most nutritionally valuable fruits. Sometimes fresh blueberries can be difficult to travel with. Choosing dried blueberries may be a better choice and more convenient when traveling.

Dried blueberries are just as nutritious as fresh blueberries. Our farm independent testing’s show that our blueberries have more than double the Vitamin A and E, than other blueberries, with more essential minerals. Of course the growing processes always make a difference, that’s why we grow our blueberries Organically and Biologically to make a “Healthy Living Choice”.

One of the benefits to dried blueberries is their shelf life. Sunset Valley Organic dried blueberries when stored in the freezer has an extended shelf life in an airtight container. There are many creative uses for dried blueberries from trail mixes to salads and even breakfast foods. Keep an eye on our recipes to find more creative ways to use SVO Dried Blueberries.

Do you know what your having for Thanksgiving derssert?

2011-11-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

Blueberry Dumplings
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, plus 1 1/2 cups
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 quart fresh or frozen blueberries
2 cups water
Vanilla ice cream or fresh cream, for serving

Stir flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients, using a pastry cutter or fork. Add milk to form dough. Set dumpling dough aside. In a large saucepan, combine berries, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and water and bring to a boil. Drop dumplings into hot boiling berries by the tablespoonful. Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Do not remove the lid before 20 minutes has passed, and do not stir dumplings. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh cream.

Soft Honey Nougat
Ingredients
1 ½ cups hazelnuts
1 ½ cup SVO dried cranberries/ or blueberries
butter
cornstarch
1 ½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2/3 cup light-color corn syrup
½ cup honey
2 white eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Spread hazelnuts in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a 350*F oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown, watching carefully and stirring once or twice so nuts don’t burn. Cool slightly. Place nuts on a clean kitchen towel, fold over towel to cover nuts. Rub vigorously to remove the skins. Coarsely shop hazelnuts. In a medium bowl combine chopped hazelnuts and SVO dried cranberries/blueberries.
2. Line a 9x5x3inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or heavy foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Butter the foil; sprinkle with small amount of cornstarch. Set pan aside.
3. In a 2-quart saucepan combine the sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add corn syrup, water, and honey; mix well. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar, 5 to 7 minutes. Avoid splashing mixture on side of pan. Reduce heat to medium. Carefully clip candy thermometer to saucepan.
4. Continue boiling stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 286*F, soft-crack stage. Mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over entire surface, about 25 minutes. Watch closely at the end as temperature will rise quickly. (adjust heat as necessary to maintain a steady boil.)
5. Remove saucepan from heat; remove candy thermometer from saucepan. In a large mixing bowl, immediately beat egg whites with a sturdy, freestanding electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour hot mixture in a thin stream over egg whites, beating constantly on a high speed and scraping sides of bowl occasionally, about 3 minutes. Scrape side of bowl again. Add vanilla. Continue beating on high speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until candy begins to lose its gloss. When beaters are lifted, mixture should fall in a ribbon, mounding on itself then slowly disappear in remaining mixture. The final beating should take 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Immediately stir 2 cups of the fruit and nuts into candy. Quickly turn candy into prepared pan; spread to corners. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup fruit and nuts. Lightly press fruit and nuts into warm mixture. While still warm, score into pieces. Let stand about 3 hours or until completely cool. When cool, use foil to lift candy from pan. Cut into pieces, using a hot knife. Wrap in plastic wrap. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week for freeze for up to 4 months, to serve, unwrap and place in waxed candy cups or bonbon cups. Makes 35 pieces.

Blueberry Health Tips

2011-11-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Blueberries are ranked the number one fruit in the world for antioxidants. Blueberries have many different ways to aid every day functions. There are tons of ways blueberries can help you improve.

1. Blueberries provide antioxidants, vitamins A,C,E, and B. they also contain lots of minerals that can help boot your immune system and help prevent/fight infections.

2. Lowering the risk of heart disease is another great advantage of eating blueberries.

3. Blueberries help reduce belly fat. Blueberries are low in calories and has an excellent source of fiber.

4. Blueberries has a compound in them called pterostilbene. Ptersotilbene helps treat colon and liver cancers.

5. Helps you Think. The nutrients from blueberries help improve your brain function like learning, and memory. These blueberries are protecting your brain from stress, and other disorders.

6. Since blueberries are full of vitamins and antioxidants it helps slowing the breakdown of your bones.

7. There are many other health benefits to blueberries.

Check out this website for more health facts on blueberries. http://www.womenfitness.net/blueberries.htm

Stay healthy. Keep your body in shape and up to date. Eat Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries!

Start Thinking Thanksgiving

2011-11-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Turkey with Blueberry Pan Sauce
Ingredients

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound turkey tenderloin, (see Ingredient note)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups blueberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge turkey in the mixture. (Discard any leftover flour.)

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the turkey; cook until golden brown on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the turkey over and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until the turkey is just cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Place the skillet over medium heat. (Take care, the handle will still be very hot.) Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots begin to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add blueberries, vinegar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits, until the blueberries burst and release their juices and the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Slice the turkey and serve with the blueberry pan sauce.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_with_blueberry_pan_sauce.htmly Pan Sauce

Brix in our Processing Plant

2011-10-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

Brix in our packing facility

Last week’s post was learning about what brix is and why it is so important. On the farm we have two processes for using our brix. The first process was using the leaf of the blueberry plant, which was explained in the previous post. The second process of brix testing is done in our processing plant when the production line is running. A brix test is done on a regular basis. A random cupful of blueberries is collection and put into a mini food processor. When the blueberries are in a puree state they are put into a coffee filter. The coffee filter is then squeezed to access the juice from the berries. The juice from the blueberries is then extracted onto the prism of the refractometer (refer to last week’s post for information on a refractometer). The refractometer then needs to be pointed to a light source to take an accurate reading. Doing a brix this way will tell us the sugar content (nutrient density) of the blueberry sample. Again the higher the brix the higher the nutrient density which means mores minerals and flavor.

Blueberry Maple Syrup

2011-10-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Maple Syrup

Ingredients
1 cup frozen SVO blueberries
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Combine the berries, sugar, and ½ cup water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water. Whisk into the berries. Bring to a boil and let boil while whisking for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice. Strain the syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing the berries with a spatula to extract all the liquids. Discard the solids and stir in the maple syrup.

Using Brix On the Farm

2011-10-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

The brix is very important as it is a direct measurement of how the plant is performing. Brix is a measurement of sugar content in a substance. To read the sugar content of blueberry plant a refractometer is needed. A Refractometer is an instrument used to obtain a brix reading. The refractometer is a hand held tool that measures the amount of refraction in a beam of light that passes through the substance.

How to use refractometer:

· squeeze sap out of a plant leafs

· put the sap on the prism

· close the prism cover

· Point to a light source

· Focus the eyepiece

· read the measurement

Reading the Brix Number:

The brix number is also known as the sugar number. The brix number is determined by the way the substance (sap) bends through the liquid. The brix number is actually the angle the light makes. The higher the number that it reads means the higher the sugar content. The lower the reading, the lower the sugar content. The higher the reading of a leaf brix the more the plants will be insect and disease resistant. Weak plants with low brix numbers give off an electromagnetic frequency that attracts predators.

The sugars are part of the soluble solids. Another component of the soluble solids is the minerals. The minerals determine the health of the plant, and the nutritional value for consumption. The higher the minerals the better the nutrition, and the higher the nutrient density.

To increase the brix a soil food web (soil biology) is needed, which will solubilize the minerals including calcium, and phosphorus which will in the end make plant sugars.

To learn more about the brix process for different methods of use, visit this site https://realfoodcampaign.org/content/brix

Blueberry- Banana Cornmeal Muffins

2011-10-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

(Makes 1 dozen)

Ingredients:
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
½ cup yellow cornmeal, preferable stone ground)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
1 ½ cups mashed ripped bananas (3 large bananas)
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon brown-rice syrup (or honey)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen of Sunset Valley Organics blueberries
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Line a standard (12 cup) muffin tin with paper liners; coat liners with cooking spray.

2. Whisk tighter cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup flour. In a large bowl, stir tighter bananas, buttermilk, rice syrup or honey, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla. Fold cornmeal mixture into banana mixture just until combined. Toss blueberries with reaming 2 teaspoons flour, and gently fold into batter.

3. Spoon batter into prepared tin, filling to brims. Sprinkle each muffin with sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of 1 comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. (muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days)

Healthy Halloween Treats for Kids

2011-10-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
½ cup SOV dried blueberries
2 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 – 10oz package of marshmallows
Food coloring
1. Spray a 13X9 pan with Pam
2. In a large bowl, microwave margarine until melted.
3. Add vanilla and marshmallows and microwave 1 to 1 ½ minutes, until melted.
4. Add food coloring to the marshmallow mixture. Use the package direction for orange. If using the classic drops, add 3 drops of yellow and then 1 drop of red. Stir. If you want it brighter, add 1 more drop of red coloring. Too orangey, add more yellow.
5. Add cereal and dried blueberries.
6. Press into pan using a spatula that has been sprayed with Pam or you can smear margarine on the spatula.
7. Refrigerate

Sweet Popcorn Balls
Easy to make:
1.Toss 12 cups pooped popcorn, 3 cups mix of SOV dried blueberries and cranberries together in a large, lightly oiled, heatproof bowl.
2. Oil 2 waxed paper-lined baking pans and a long metal fork.
3. Set aside.
4. Bring 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, and ½ cup water to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture reaches 260*F. Carefully pour the syrup over the popcorn mixture.
5. Stir with the fork to distribute. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes
6. With well-oiled hands, form 3-inch balls, place on pans, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

To add an Halloween theme: Once popcorn balls have cooled and set, wrap them in orange or black colored cellophane and tie closed with a coordinating ribbon.

The Freeze Dried Side of Sunset Valley Organics

2011-10-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sunset Valley Organics’ organic, freeze dried, blueberry slices has the most amazing flavor. One pound of freeze dried blueberries is approximately the equivalent of ten pounds of fresh blueberries. Our slices are a great whole food snack, providing excellent nutrition with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and amazing blueberry flavor. The origin of our slices arose when customers were asking for whole blueberries freeze dried so it would be lighter then dried blueberries when backpacking. We had Oregon Freeze Dry in Albany, OR make our slices and our delicious powder for us, using our blueberries. Our blueberries were so big that they couldn’t be freeze dried. Our alternative was slicing the blueberries and that is how Sunset Valley Organic Blueberry slices were made.

Our Freeze dried blueberry powder is the best of our blueberries in concentrated form, with incredible flavor. One 4oz jar of our freeze dried powder is approximately the equivalent of 2.5 pounds of whole blueberries, and it takes 10 pounds of whole blueberries to make one pound of the freeze dried powder. Our powder is a wonderful whole food supplement, providing excellent nutrition with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Putting our powder on the market made a huge difference because of the fact that we are Organic. There are other companies that produce conventional freeze dried blueberry powder, but nothing like our Organic Freeze Dried Powder. You can enjoy using the powder in yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, and much more! When storing the freeze dried powder and the slices use an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator/freezer.

Raspberries, Blackberries and Strawberries! Oh My!

2011-10-07T12:36:00.000-07:00

Yumm!

For the first time, Sunset Valley Organics is growing organic raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.Over the next two weeks here at the farm, we will be training our raspberries for next years crop. The raspberries will be available mid to late June, weather permitting. All of our new berries are being grown organically and biologically. While our new berries our still growing, browse around the website and check out our new recipes.

Katherine's Trail Mix ( Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free)

2011-10-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

The perfect mix of sweet and salty...

Ingredients:
2 cups Your favorite granola (I use "enjoy life" brand, gluten, nut and dairy free)
1 cup Sunset Valley Organic Dried Blueberries
1 cup Sunset Valley Organic Dried Cranberries
1 cup dried pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup nondairy chocolate chips (I use enjoy life)

Add all ingredients together, store into an airtight container or bag.

Sour Cream Blueberry Coffee Cake

2011-10-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

½ cup of sugar

½ cup butter

2 Large eggs

1 (8oz) container sour cream

1tsp. Vanilla extract

2 tsp. grated lemon rind

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 pint fresh or frozen Sunset Valley Blueberries

½ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

4 tsp. milk

Beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beating 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and next 3 ingredients, beating until smooth. Combine flour; baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Pour batter into a lightly greased 9-in spring form pan. Combine Sunset Valley Organic blueberries and next 3 ingredients, sprinkle over matter. Bake at 350˚F for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Eat and Enjoy!

Passionate for Pies? We are too!

2011-09-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

This Year's Crop of Blueberries are Picked, and Frozen for Fall!

Which gets us thinking about baking.
Our Frozen Blueberries are perfect for baking, as evidence by one of our most enthusiastic customers:

Passionate for Pies Bakery

on Orcas Island Washington!

They not only make amazing looking pies, but they're delicious, and healthy too!
Their philosophy is:

Health begins within. All of our ingredients are carefully chosen with the intention to maintain balance in our body, our mind, and our planet. This means knowing the people and farmers. Organic and Local. 90% of our ingredients come directly from Northwest farms, including produce, flour, and dairy.

We got a chance to taste one this summer, and loved it! Let us know if you get the pleasure of traveling to the San Juans to sample some of their amazing wares!

2011 Berry Health Benefits Symposium in June

2011-07-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Berries are increasingly viewed as having a profound impact against the diseases of aging including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and age related mental decline.

Organic Blueberry Powder-
Full of Healthy Nutrition

Are berries truly a superfood with health benefits for everyone? The evidence was heard at the 4th Biennial Berry Health Benefits Symposium, which was held June 27-29.

The 2011 Berry Health Benefits Symposium is the only event solely dedicated to bringing together worldwide researchers in the field of berries and human health. Over twenty of the most renown scientists will discuss their most recent work and reveal how this most basic of foods can have a profound impact on many of the important diseases of aging. Topics to be showcased include Cancer, Metabolism, Gut Health, Heart Health, Brain Aging and Compositional Chemistry and Biological Effects.
The symposium is sponsored by every major berry organization in the United States, who join together in an effort to make this vital message of berries and health available to media, industry, academia and the public. The symposium is presented by the National Berry Crops Initiative, a nationwide organization whose mission is to develop a strategic plan for the continued growth and sustainability of berry crop production in the United States.

http://www.berryhealth.org/news.html

Abstracts from the conference on the health benefits of Berries can be found here:

Britt Burton Freeman NCFST, IIT, UCD	"Health Promoting Foods:The Strawberry"
Iris Erlund National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland	"Berry Consumption in Humans: Bioavailability of Polyphenols and Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Factors"
Roger Corder William Harvey Research Institute of London	“Cardiovascular Actions of Procyanidin-rich Foods and Beverages”
Francisco Tomas-Barberan University of Murica, Spain	“Exploring the Biological Activity of Berry Ellagitannin Metabolites”
Alan Crozier University of Glasgow, Scotland	"Healthy Eating: Bioavailability of Dietary Flavonoids and Phenolics”
Paul Milbury Tufts University	“Xenobiotic Metabolism and Berry Flavonoid Transport Across the Blood Brain Barrier”
Ron Prior USDA-ARS at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, U of Arkansas	“Anthocyanins and Other Factors in Berries that Affect Development of Obesity"
Tatiana Oberyszyn Ohio State University	"Topical Black Raspberry Extract and Skin Cancer"
Xiao-Ming Yin University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine	"Anthocyanidins and Cancer Therapy, Different Routes to the Demise"
Gary Stoner Ohio State University	"Prevention of Aerodigestive Tract Cancers in Humans with Berries"
Peter Ferguson University of Western Ontario	"Cranberry Phytochemicals as Potential Anticancer Agents"
Martha Clare Morris Rush Institute for Healthy Aging	"Epidemiological Evidence of Antioxidant Nutrients and Brain Health"
Thomas B. Kuhn Universtiy of Fairbanks, Alaska	"Alaska Wild Blueberries and Neuroinflammatory Signaling: Disrupting NADPH oxidase Assembly in Lipid Rafts"
Barbara Shukitt-Hale USDA-ARS at Tufts University	“Behavioral Effects of Berries in Aging and Aging Radiation Models”
Dr. Jim Joseph USDA-ARS at Tufts University	Quenching the “Fires” of Inflammatory and Oxidative Stress: “Food Parings for Healthy Brain Aging”
Robert Krikorian Universtiy of Cincinnati, College of Medicine	“Interventions in Cognitive Aging”
Jess Reed University of Wisconsin	“Berry Tannins and Gut Health”
Luke Howard University of Arkansas	“Effect of Jam Processing and Storage on Polyphenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of Blueberries”
Venket Rao University of Toronto	”Raspberries and Human Health:Time for Recognition"
Amy Howell Rutgers University	"Bacterial Anti-adhesion Activity of Cranberry Proanthocyanidins "
Wilhemina Kalt Agriculture and AgriFoods Canada	"Recent Research on Blueberries and Vision"
Mary Ann Lila North Carolina Research Campus at Kanapolis	“Berry Resources and Human Health Under the Cloud of Climate Change”

New Freeze Dried Blueberries!

2011-06-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Organic Freeze Dried Blueberry Slices

You’ve been asking for Organic freeze-dried blueberries, and they are finally here!

Bob is happy to announce our new freeze-dried blueberry slices. Not only is the blueberry flavor amazing, but the freeze-dried slices have excellent nutrition, they are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Even more amazing is that one pound of dried blueberries is equivalent to TEN POUNDS of fresh blueberries. Our freeze dried blueberry slices are the perfect snack for blueberry lovers and hikers alike. Come try them at the farmers market or order them online-a new and tasty way to enjoy your favorite blueberries!

Summer's Going to be Late--and Blueberries too!

2011-05-27T16:54:00.000-07:00

As we launch into Memorial Day weekend we've gotten a couple of calls about when fresh blueberries will be ready for picking.

Good Question. Late-- which right now means sometime in July for the first blueberries.

Cold, Wet Spring
As anyone who is in Oregon may have noticed, its been a very cold and wet spring. That means that we've had fewer warm sunny hours to encourage the blueberries to grow. Our blueberry plants are still in flower this week, with the bees doing their work. The bad news is that that's really late, but the good news is, there are lots of flowers.

We think its going to be a good, but late crop this year. Here's wishing for a warmer, but not hot, June, so we can make up a little growing time.

Keep checking in here, or our facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/SunsetValleyOrganics) to get the status of u-pick and fresh organic blueberries for the farmer's market. In the meantime, we've got great dried organic blueberries, and frozen organic blueberries to satisfy that great blueberry craving. I'm finding that a blueberry smoothie made very simply with a banana, some juice, some ice and a cup of our frozen blueberries really hits the spot this time of year! Its a little taste of the summer to come. Enjoy your memorial day weekend! Stay dry and warm.

Cranberries: Anti Cancer, Anti Inflammatory Super Foods

2011-05-23T20:43:00.000-07:00

Cranberries are Healthy: Anti Cancer, Anti Inflammatory Super Foods
Cranberry health benefits: you know the anitoxidant benefits of our organic, nutrient dense organic blueberries, but did you know that Cranberries are great sources of fiber and vitamin C, and are used to fight urinary tract infections? More importantly, Cranberries have a wide array of phytonutrients. The these phytonutrients in cranberries have been studied for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, and in many cases the results have been impressive. Cranberry research has found that isolated phytonutrients in cranberries do not account for the same degree of health benefit as all the phytonutrients taken as a complete, synergistic group- the whole cranberry.

Cranberry Honey Bread

2011-04-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

Cranberry Honey Bread

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup milk
1 beaten egg
***************
3 cups biscuit mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried Sunset Valley Organics cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine honey, milk and egg. Add biscuit mix and salt; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon into a greased, brown-paper-lined 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 55 minutes or till done. Cool.

Cranberry Drop Cookies

2011-04-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

Cranberry Drop Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine          3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar                   1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)        1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk                                      1/4 tsp. soda
2 tbsp. orange juice                        1 cup chopped nuts
1 egg                                               2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped Sunset Valley Organics dried cranberries

Heat oven to 375 degrees(quick mod.) Cream butter and sugars together. Beat in milk, orange juice, and egg. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Blend well with sugar mixture. Stir in chopped nuts and cranberries. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet. bake 10 to 15 min. makes approx. 11 doz cookies.

*note: if you use self-rising flour, omit baking powder, salt and soda.

YES Sunset Valley Organics has CRANBERRIES!

2011-04-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

Organic Dried Cranberries

Dried Organic Cranberries are the first fruit not grown on our family farm that Bob has ever deemed "worthy" of selling through Sunset Valley Organics. Bob prides himself on the quality, nutrition, organic practices and taste of his home grown fruit. It's pretty rare that someone else's produce passes muster.

So a little over a year ago, the Coquille Indian tribe approached Bob to ask if he would help sort and pack their fresh organic cranberries, grown in Cranberry bogs on the Oregon Coast. (Most folks think that Cranberries are just New England crop, but it turns out Oregon is the second largest producer, and produces some of the best Organic Cranberries). It was low season for the blueberry farm, (Cranberry harvest is in the fall, just in time for Thanksgiving, hence the abundance of Cranberries for holiday baking), so Bob decided that he'd be willing to help out.

Well, looking at and tasting those wonderful cranberries convinced Bob that there was some mighty fine fruit coming in. Then they brought him a sample of their dried cranberries. The Coquille sweetened their dried cranberries with organic apple juice and added just a touch of sunflower oil to keep them supple. They're just perfect. Nutritious, Delicious, and Organic.

You may know that Bob doesn't use any sugar or sweeteners at all on his own organic dried blueberries, because when picked ripe, and processed properly, they don't need sweeteners or oils. Cranberries are another matter. They're tart, no matter when picked. The organic apple juice was the perfect solution. Bob decided he really wanted to share this organic dried cranberry find with his customers who appreciate this kind of good fruit.

We know you'll love the nutrition and flavors, and texture of these. The are perfect in a mix with Sunset Valley Organics Dried Blueberries as a snack or for a trail mix base. The tart and the sweet are perfect complements, and the nutrition is complementary too. They're also excellent for baking and wonderful tossed on salads!

Guess What's Blooming at Sunset Valley Organics?

2011-03-15T14:13:00.000-07:00

Sunset Valley Organics has been abuzz getting ready for their blueberry bushes to bud. That’s a lot of Bs to keep straight. But don’t worry, Bob Wilts has it all covered. Since September, a hired force of workers has been pruning away the dead wood of the plants, leaving the new wood with plenty of blooming room. Right now the buds are swelling, and in a couple of weeks they will open up into gorgeous white flowers ready for pollination. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What’s important now is careful tending, to make sure the blueberries are as ripe, plump and perfect as possible to be labeled Sunset Valley. The secret is in the soil, the blueberry’s very own compost tea that is brewed up full of vitamins and nutrients. Bob brews up a thousand gallons of fertilizer at a time that’s been eaten and ground up by worms again. Then the “tea” is made just right for all of Oregon’s many climates: cold, wet, dry, sunny. Just to make sure the blueberry crop gets the best possible nutrients to make the most mouth-watering organic blueberries.

Turning Waste into Blue Gold

2011-03-02T12:54:00.000-08:00

The science of soil can be overwhelming, but Bob over at Sunset Valley Organics has turned it into a delicious art-form. Farms in Oregon historically relied on sawdust to promote a solid blueberry crop, yet as housing demanded more lumber, sawdust prices skyrocketed.

This has forced farmers to find more cost-efficient options, and subsequently better material to grow their berries. Because blueberries favor acidic soils that are high in organic matter, Bob turned to different locally available waste streams, including horse, cow and chicken manure, sawdust, straw, and seed screenings. This concoction of rather unsavory ingredients is mixed together into long windrows where they are turned weekly for 12 to 14 weeks. The compost is faithfully attended during the “active” phase; monitoring the temperature and moisture. Once the active phase is done, the piles are left to cool, and at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the windrows are moved into a large pile and left to cure for at least a year before application. When the big day comes, the compost is spread at a depth of ⅜” with a sawdust spreader.

Bob partnered with Oregon State University to illustrate the benefits of this particular blend of compost. They put together an in-depth study highlighting Sunset Valley Organic's composing and noting the benefits this could serve for other Oregon farmers.

Bob’s perfect compost mixture is his hidden secret to his delicious, nutrient dense blueberries. Sunset Valley Organic's blueberries provide significantly more Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calcium, Zinc, and Magnesium then other berries tested. Since utilizing this compost, bob has seen a drop in harmful pests and a rise in infiltration rates of his soils. All of this allows his organic blueberries the best possible environment to become the juiciest and most delicious blueberries on the market. Order Premium Organic Dried Blueberries from the farm today and taste the benefits of Bob’s soil.

Relax with Organic Blueberries: Blueberries Promote Cardiovascular Health By Relaxing Arteries

2011-02-17T10:20:00.000-08:00

Sitting back with a bowl of organic blueberries is a great way to relax. Now you can relax your arteries along with calming your mind. Polyphenols, a major building block of many fruits and vegetables, do wonders for cardiovascular health. Fresh Blueberries are just busting with these “good-for-you” antioxidants. A new study released by the University of Maine, Northwest University and the University of Louisville confirms that polyphenols found in blueberries relax arteries and promote key aspects of artery health. The study was performed on rats, who have a very similar cardiovascular system to humans. They divided the rats into several groups and tested various diets for eight weeks. One group was given the standard “rat chow” while the other (more lucky) rats were given a mixture of freeze-dried, powdered wild blueberries. The researches then administered a vasoconstrictor compound called I-phenylophrine, which causes the arteries to narrow. As hoped, the blueberry rats had much less of a reaction to the compound; their arteries remained mostly relaxed. The study pinpointed that a diet rich in blueberries, especially organic blueberries raises Nitric Oxide, a molecule that is deficient in people with diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis. Nitric Oxide keeps everything relaxed and flowing beautifully, so that you can focus on other things then the state of your arteries. So relax! Especially when you can enjoy organic blueberries from Sunset Valley Organics. Pour some 100% Pure blueberry powder on your Slim-Fast go straight for the freezer and munch on Sunset Valley Organic's organic frozen berries.

Blueberries improve brain function in older adults.

2011-01-03T15:21:00.000-08:00

Jan. 21, 2010 -- Daily consumption of blueberries helps improve memory, a preliminary UC study suggests.

A new study shows that drinking a daily dose of blueberry juice improved the memory of older adults with age-related memory problems.

It's the first study to show a potential benefit of blueberries in improving memory in older adults at risk for dementia.

"The findings of this preliminary study suggest that moderate-term blueberry supplementation can confer neurocognitive benefit,"

write researcher Robert Krikorian, of the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, and colleagues in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Read Full Article

Blueberry Glazed Pork Chops

2010-12-09T16:41:00.001-08:00

via: rockrecipes.blogspot.com

Yield: 4 Servings

Cook Time

Active Time: 25 minutes

Inactive time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

8 boneless center loin pork chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to season
½ cup white wine or chicken stock
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 cup Sunset Valley Organics blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.
2. Pan fry the pork chops in the olive oil and garlic until completely cooked about 4-5 minutes per side. Hold the pork chops in a warm oven.
3. Add the blueberries, balsamic vinegar, wine (or stock), thyme, nutmeg and brown sugar in a saucepan.
4. Simmer to reduce the volume of the sauce by half.
5. Add the lemon juice and butter and simmer for an additional minute or so until the sauce slightly thickens.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste and spoon the sauce over the cooked pork chops.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

2010-12-09T16:14:00.000-08:00

via: wholefoodsmarket.com

Cook Time

Active Time: 20 minutes

Inactive Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 12

This coffee cake relies on a healthy portion of almonds for richness, yogurt for moistness, and the natural sweetness of Sunset Valley Organics blueberries to make a delicious cake that is healthy enough for breakfast!

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, divided
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt or blueberry yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups fresh or frozen, thawed and drained blueberries, divided
1/3 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Put 2 tablespoons of the whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium bowl and mix together with a fork or your fingers until well combined and mixture is in large clumps; set streusel aside.
4. Put remaining 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine; set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, vanilla and eggs then pour into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until combined.
6. Gently fold in 1 cup of the blueberries.
7. Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle reserved streusel over the top.
8. Scatter remaining 1 cup blueberries over the streusel then top with almonds and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center cake comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
9. Once cooled, loosen edges of cake and transfer to a plate.
10. Cut into slices and serve.

Blueberry Muffins with Oatmeal

2010-12-09T16:12:00.001-08:00

Blueberries keep intestinal inflammations at bay

2010-12-09T16:08:00.001-08:00

LONDON - Blueberries, rich in anti-oxidants and vitamins, can alleviate and protect against intestinal inflammations, a new study says.

The protective effect is even better if the blueberries are eaten along with probiotics or health promoting bacteria.

Sweden’s Lund University Faculty of Engineering (LUFE) project originated as an attempt to see if various types of dietary fibre and probiotic bacteria, lactobacillus and bifidobacteria, can help prevent risk of colorectal cancer and intestinal inflammations like ulcerative colitis.

“But new knowledge of this field is also of interest to those who don’t believe they run the risk of developing any intestinal diseases,” explains Camilla Brnning, nutritionist and sa Hkansson, doctoral candidate in applied nutrition and food chemistry at Lund.

Source: Health News

“In recent years the research world has been realising that our health is governed to a great extent by what happens in our large intestine,” explain Brnning and Hkansson, according to a Lund University release.

Researchers tested various types of diets of blueberry husks, rye bran and oat bran with or without a mixture of probiotic bacteria. The results showed that the protective effect of blueberries was reinforced if they were eaten together with probiotics.

“The probiotics proved to have a protective effect on the liver, an organ that is often negatively impacted by intestinal inflammations,” explains Hkansson.

Blueberries are rich in polyphenols, which have an antimicrobial and antioxidative effect.

Fruit Spread market in the US: Strong and growing

2010-12-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

In the U.S. approximately 1 billion pounds of fruit spreads are produced annually. Per capita consumption is approximately 2.2 pounds annually. The market for preserve products has been stable for more than 20 years, following significant growth in the years following World War II.

Preserves currently represent 33.6% of the total sales of the overall fruit spread category (jams, jellies, preserves, fruit spreads, marmalades, fruit & honey butters). Jams make up 21.45% of sales with jelly sales close behind at 20% of sales. Fruit spreads are 16.45% of sales, marmalades comprise 5.2% of sales, and fruit and honey butters make up 1.2% of the overall category.

Source: Progressive Grocer, September 2004

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

2010-12-09T13:34:00.000-08:00

Blueberry Buckle Recipe

via: simplyrecipes.com

What is a buckle you might ask? A buckle is an old-fashioned, single-layer cake with a streusel-type topping. The batter is quite dense. As the cake bakes, the batter sinks to the bottom of the pan, which makes the streusel buckle on top. In other words, a coffee cake or one giant blueberry muffin. Delicious, especially when you use flavor-packed Sunset Valley Organics blueberries!

Cook Time

Active Time: 20 minutes prep

Leave an additional 30 minutes (if you need to clean the blueberries - Sunset Valley Organics' berries are always precleaned for you).

Inactive Time: 1 hour (baking)

Ingredients

Cake ingredients:

2 cups and 1-2 Tbsp of sifted (to coat the blueberries) all purpose flour, separated
2 teaspoons baking poweder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups Sunset Valley Organics blueberries

Topping ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan. Set aside.
2. Sift together 2 cups of flour, the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg.
4. Add the 1/3 of flour mixture and mix slightly. Add 1/3 of milk and combine slightly.
5. Repeat step 4, alternating between flour and milk, until the flour mixture and milk are all combined.
6. Toss the beries with the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour (to separate and scatter evenly throughout the batter) and fold in. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
7. Combine ingredients for topping with a fork to make crumbly mixture. Sprinkle this over the batter.
8. Bake for one hour, then test for doneness by gently inserting a fork. If it does not come out clean, give the cake another 5 to 10 minutes in the oven.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
10. When the cake has cooled, run a knife around the edges and lift the cake out of the pan. Serve with whipped cream.

Summer Berry Parfait with Yogurt and Granola

2010-12-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Summer Berry Parfait with Yogurt and Granola

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup sliced strawberries
* 3/4 cup blueberries
* 1 (6 ounce) container vanilla yogurt
* 1 tablespoon wheat germ
* 1/2 banana, sliced
* 1/3 cup granola

Directions

1. Layer 1/4 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/3 container yogurt, 1/3 tablespoon wheat germ, 1/3 of the sliced banana, and about 2 tablespoons of granola in a large bowl. Continue to build the parfait, repeating the layers until all of the ingredients are used completely.

Blueberries: A Triple Threat Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancers

2010-12-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

Blueberries: A Triple Threat Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancers

City of Hope Cancer researchers show Blueberries are effective in fighting triple negative breast cancers

Composting for Nutrition in Blueberries

2010-10-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Bob Wilt

Sunset Valley Organics/ Wilt Farms is an organic blueberry farm outside of Corvallis that is owned and managed by Bob Wilt. The farm has around 75 acres of northern highbush blueberry, with varieties including Bluecrop, Jersey and Duke. The farm includes blueberry plants up to 40 years old, the original blueberry plants that Bob helped to plant with his father when the farm was started. The farm was conventionally managed up until the last decade, when Wilt Farms made the shift to organic and began using compost.

The compost at Wilt Farms is made from many different locally available waste streams, including horse, cow and chicken manure, sawdust, straw, and seed screenings. These different organic materials are mixed into long windrows where they will be turned an average of once a week with a ride-on compost turner for 12-14 weeks. The compost piles are carefully managed during the “active” phase and the mix is adjusted if the temperatures are too low or too high, and moisture added if needed. Once this active phase is done and the pile’s temperature drops below 110F the windrows are moved into a large pile and left to cure for at least 1 year before application, leaving a fine particle size for the finished product. The compost is usually applied at a depth of around 3/8” with a sawdust spreader, although the farm is currently working to fabricate their own large capacity over-therow compost spreader.

Bob has stated that for the last five years compost has been, “The cornerstone of the nutrition for our farm, so we work at it pretty hard.” He has significantly decreased the nitrogen fertilizer application rate to his fields since he began applying compost. He stated that he has seen a decrease in the amount of diseases and harmful pests, and has also seen the infiltration rate of his soil greatly increase. Bob also reports that penetrometer measurements demonstrate reduced soil compaction with compost (soil is looser) application, making it more suitable for roots

source: http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sfn/f09CompostingBlueberry

Organic Berries More Nutritious: Proof from Wash State Univ

2010-09-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

A comprehensive Washington State University study broke new ground in proving the superior nutrition and soil health, among other benefits from organic berry farming.

"PULLMAN, Wash.—Side-by-side comparisons of organic and conventional strawberry farms and their fruit found the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier and more genetically diverse.

"Our findings have global implications and advance what we know about the sustainability benefits of organic farming systems," said John Reganold, Washington State University Regents professor of soil science and lead author of a paper published today in the peer-reviewed online journal, PLoS ONE. "We also show you can have high quality, healthy produce without resorting to an arsenal of pesticides."

Washington State news article

Among their findings:

• The organic strawberries had significantly higher antioxidant activity and concentrations of ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds.
• The organic strawberries had longer shelf life.
• The organic strawberries had more dry matter, or, "more strawberry in the strawberry."
• Anonymous testers, working at times under red light so the fruit color would not bias them, found one variety of organic strawberries was sweeter, had better flavor, and once a white light was turned on, appearance. The testers judged the other two varieties to be similar.
The researchers also found the organic soils excelled in a variety of key chemical and biological properties, including carbon sequestration, nitrogen, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and micronutrients.

This is exactly what Bob Wilt has been saying and promoting with Sunset Valley Organics for years. The tests on our own blueberries show the superior nutrition- and we even beat conventional organics, and our customers always tell us a bout our longer shelf life, and everyone can taste the more blueberry in our blueberries.

Its wonderful to have a peer reviewed study show that what we know is true.

Fresh Blueberries Final Weeks... U-Pick Closed

2010-08-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of intense harvest, we've finished the 2010 picking season!

U Pick is now closed, but we've got lots of Fresh, Ripe, Nutritious Organic Blueberries in the cooler...our Bounty is your gain. < br/>We will be selling 30lb bulk boxes for $90- grat for freezing, canning and baking starting this week.< br/> We also have our other sizes of ripe picked berries at the farm stand, including pints, 5lb and 10lb containers. Our brix (a measure of flavor and natural sugars) were extremely high this year, resulting in a really high quality crop.

Farm Fresh Big Hit at Farmers Market

2010-07-03T15:34:00.000-07:00

We had an excellent day at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers Market today! We sold out half way through and Diane had to bring more berries into the market, we also ran out of containers and ended up using white paper bags for selling pints in. Its a great way to kick off the fresh season.

On the farm we also were open for the first day with a good turn out. We are getting ready for Monday when we will be packing fresh market to send to stores all through out Oregon, and part of Washington and maybe California.

We are looking forward to a great season, because to day was a promising start!

Fresh Blueberries Have Finally Arrived!

2010-06-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy getting ready for the fresh season! Finally our first variety is ripe enough to start picking. Duke, is a firm, medium size berry and for now is the first to ripen on our farm. We will have FRESH PICKED at the Corvallis Saturday Farmers Market (open from 9am to 1pm), and at our farm stand, which will be opening on July 3rd, this Saturday. For a 10 pound flat we will be selling it for $35.00, we also have smaller amounts for sale. We will only have fresh picked, our u-pick field will be opening around mid-July, and as always that variety is Blue Crop, which is a large, sweet berry perfect for eating plain or tossing into a fruit salad. Our U-Pick price will be the same as last year at $2.50 per pound.

We will also be offering our ready to be frozen 30 pound boxes. We wont be starting these until late July or early August. Our 30 pound boxes are washed, destemed, sorted (no yucky ones), and placed in a box weighed out to be 30 pounds. All you have to do is stick it in your freezer and enjoy! They will be selling for $90.00 per box.

Along with fresh blueberries we will also be offering our blueberry products which includes our organic blueberry spread (original, and no sugar added), organic dried, and organic blueberry powder.

~CHANGE OF LOCATION FOR SATURDAY CORVALLIS FARMERS MARKET FOR JULY 3RD
This Saturday the Corvallis Farmers Market will be on first street next to the skate park because of the July 4th celebrations. We will still have our booth there.

Ways to use Organic Blueberry Powder

2010-06-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Sales of our Organic Blueberry Powder are continuing to grow. We haven't seen another source for 100% Blueberry, Organic whole berry powder. The taste is wonderful, and each teaspoon is packed with nutrients. At our farmer's market booth we constantly get questions about how to use the powder. Here are some thoughts, but get creative, we welcome your ideas...

Ways to Use Organic Blueberry Powder:

Blueberry flavored frosting or icing
Smoothies
Yogurt
Jello flavor booster (try it with lemon?)
Cookies (esp. good in oatmeal cookies)
Granola Bars
Cook it in your oatmeal.
put it in cakes, crumb cakes or buckles for added nutrition and flavor!

Tell us your best ideas...

The "Old School" Varities

2010-03-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Lots of people ask us what kind of varieties we have, and some people don't even know that there are different varieties so here are the "old school" varieties, with some useful information about them. Most of the older varieties were for taste and the newer varieties are being altered for shipping and looking good but not tasting good. At Sunset Valley we offer old school and new school. With the "new school" we are using practices that will hopefully improve the taste of the berry and still have it be able to ship well.

Note: a * indicates that we have that variety.

Bluecrop*- Ripens early mid season, just after Blueray. The fruit is large with small scar, has excellent color, firmness and good flavor. Its foliage is somewhat sparse but production is good. This berry is suitable for mechanical harvest. It is also the most popular variety in New Jersey and second most popular in Michigan.

Bluejay- Released by a Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. It is a mid season berry (about the same as Northland). The fruit is medium in size with long stems that aid in the mechanical harvesting. The bush is vigorous and upright.

Blueray*-An early mid season berry. It ripens a few days a head of Bluecrop. The fruit is very large and firm, and has a fair scar. It produces an aromatic flavor. The clusters are large and tight. The bush is a vigorous and productive. This berry is popular for the u-pick trade, but doesn't machine harvest well.

Elliott- This late season berry ripens two weeks after Jersey. The fruit is a medium size, firm, light blue, and has good flavor. The bush is very vigorous, upright, winter hardy, and productive. It is suitable for mechanical harvesting.

Jersey*- A late mid season berry. The fruit is small to medium sized , has a medium scar, fair color, fair flavor and is firm. The bush is very vigorous and productive. The clusters are long and loose. It is suitable for mechanical harvesting and is the most widely planted variety in Michigan. It is also favored for baking.

Nelson- The Nelson was released by the USDA in 1989. It ripens mid season with Berkeley. The fruit is large, firm, light blue, has good flavor and scar. The bush is vigorous, upright, and suitable for commercial and u-pick harvest. Yields have been high in test pleanting at Grand Junction, Michigan.

Patriot-An early season berry which ripens ahead of Blueray and about the same time as Northland. The fruit is large, small, scarred with good color, and has very good flavor. The bush is vigorous, upright, and relatively open. Test have proved it is very winter hardy. Recommend tof trial in commercial production. It is tolerant or resistant to some strains of Phytophthora Cinnamomi, a soil fungus that causes root rot.

Spartan-An early season berry. It ripens just ahead of Patriot. It has large, firm, light blue in color and had execellent flavor. The bush is vigiours, upright, open, and productive. Suitable for machine harvest. Early season ripening and large size fruit make this varitey very desirable for the u-pick trade.

Planting and Pruning Tips

2010-03-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Newly cleared land is best for planting since it usually contains more organic matter. Thoroughly work the soil for at least two years proceeding planting to subdue weeds and grasses. Add lime if the soil tests below pH 4.5 add sulfur to soils testing above pH 5.5 to acidify problem areas. When planting use 2 or 3 year old plants. Avoid plants older than 3 years old for commercial planting. Plant early in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Space the plants 4' apart in rows 10' apart. Set plants at the same depth as grown in the nursery. Mix a shovelful of acid peat with the soil in each planting hole when setting in sandy soils low in organic mater. Remove fruit buds, either before or soon after setting the plants. Cultivated berries are self fertile. However , if you want a long harvest season plant 2 or 3 varieties ripening in succession. Experiments indicate berries may be larger and slightly earlier- maturing when cross pollination dose occur. Most blueberry roots are close to the soil surface. Cultivate no deeper than 2 or 3 inches and only often enough to keep weeds in check.The blueberry needs annual pruning. Remove all the small spindly growth near the base of the plant. This will promote a more upright bush and keep the fruit away from the ground. Prune to remove dead and injured branches, fruiting branches close to the ground, spindly, bushy twigs on mature branches and old stems or parts low in vigor. Blueberry bushes which are pruned moderately each year produce larger berries, and tends to make the fruit ripen faster. Prune during dormancy, after the leaves have dropped in the fall, and during winter until buds swell in the spring.

Its all in the Soil: Healthy Soil: Healthy Blueberries

2010-02-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

A new cut of our Video focusing on our unique composting system, and how it results in healthier soil, and healthier blueberries.

Blueberry juice sharpens memory in the aged

2010-02-13T12:19:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - A few glasses of blueberry juice a day may help sharpen memory in the aged, says a new study.

Scientists have unearthed proof that blueberries, one of the richest source of healthy antioxidants and other phytochemicals, improve memory. The study establishes a basis for comprehensive human clinical trials to determine whether blueberries really deserve their growing reputation as a memory enhancer. Robert Krikorian, psychiatrist at the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Centre and colleagues point out that previous animal studies suggest that eating blueberries may help boost memory in the aged.

Until now, however, there had been little scientific work aimed at testing the effect of blueberry supplementation on memory in people. In the study, one group of volunteers in their 70s with early memory decline drank the equivalent of 2-2 l/2 cups of a commercially availableblueberry juice every day for two months.

A control group drank some other beverage. The blueberry juice group showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests, the scientists say, according to a release of the American Chemical Society (ACS). “These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neuro-degeneration,” said the report.

The report appeared in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

Source: Health News

Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat, Diabetes Risk

2010-01-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

Thinking of your New Year's resolution? Want to lose weight? Eat healthier? Be more fit?
Try eating more Blueberries. A recent study published in Science Daily shows that Blueberries may help reduce belly fat and reduce diabetes risk.

The new research, presented April 19 at the Experimental Biology convention in New Orleans, gives tantalizing clues to the potential of blueberries in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The effect is thought to be due to the high level of phytochemicals – naturally occurring antioxidants – that blueberries contain.

Sunset Valley's Organic Frozen Blueberries are a perfect way to get your blueberries in winter. Lightly thawed, they are great on oatmeal, in smoothies, on yogurt, in salads, for baking, or just for snacking. They've got great nutrtition, and all the flavor of our fresh berries.

Frozen Blueberries- Nutrition and Flavor Year Round

2009-12-31T21:31:00.000-08:00

In the spectrum of healthy fruits, Blueberries stand out—for their delicious taste, small size and big health benefits. With more antioxidant capacity per serving than most other fruits, frozen Organic Blueberries have a lot of what it takes to combat disease and promote healthy aging. Just a ½ cup of frozen Organic Blueberries satisfies one fruit serving and is a good source of dietary fiber. Visit the nutrition section of our site to get the scoop on the testing we've done to learn how nutrient-dense our organic blueberries are.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient and available year-round. What’s more, frozen makes it easy to get the colorful variety needed to ensure the widest range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Plus, the FDA has concluded that frozen produce is just as nutritious as fresh and may even retain its nutritional value longer—all of which makes frozen an excellent value for consumers wanting to increase their intake while making the most of their food dollar.

So take a tip from the nutrition specialists...get your winter share of fiber, anti-oxidants AND a taste of summer, with Frozen Blueberries. Check out our recipes for many ways to use frozen blueberries

Our New Webite is LIVE!

2009-12-31T09:18:00.000-08:00

Check out our new website! It has been reorganized and a completely new feel, see for yourself and check it out! We are also going to be at the winter market in not only Corvallis, but also in McMinnville. The Corvallis winter market will be located in Guerber Hall at the fairgrounds, starting on January 16,2010. The market will be happening for every Saturday after that, from 9am to 1pm. The McMinnville farmers market has already begun and is every Saturday from 9am to 3pm. Our Farm office is open on Mondays from 9am to 12pm. If you are wanting to come by on another day just give us a phone call to set up an appointment.

Jenni's Lemon and Blueberry Cake

2009-08-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

Grab yourself a Betty Crocker Super Moist Lemon cake mix and follow the instructions. Then add in some Organic Dried Blueberries (about a cup, but you can always add more depending on how much you like the lemon to blueberry ratio) and then to make the frosting in a small mixing bowl add 1 cup of powdered sugar along with 2 teaspoons of milk, then add some lemon juice (I like squeezing the juice myself) and add anywhere from 2-5 teaspoons (depending on how much lemon you like to have). Its very simple but tastes amazing!

Wrap Up Time

2009-08-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

The end of berry season is drawing near. It has been two months since we opened our farm stand with fresh berries, out lasting other blueberry farms in the area. We will be closing the farm stand on Saturday, August 29, 2009. It is fair to say that we have had more U-Pickers this year than any other year. Along with the fresh farm stand closing we are also wrapping up our frozen market berries. This means that we wont be open every day. We will be open 9am-12pm on Mondays, and by appointment.

We thank everyone who has bought berries from us this year, and in years past, and are looking forward to seeing you next season.

~Sunset Valley Team~

Behind the Scenes: The Farm Stand Workers

2009-08-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

Beka Byland has work for my family for four years, and before that we were friend so now we are basically like sisters. She has done all kinds of different jobs from labeling spread jars to working in the field. In the midst of harvest she is in charge of the Saturday market in Corvallis. She also works at the farm stand, sorting the berries, getting them out of the field from the pickers, and helping customers. Currently she has taken the rest of the summer off, this is because of a friend from Germany has come to visit her and they are touring the United States and part of Canada by train.

This was Nat Adams First year working for my family, another friend of mine, having graduated from CV and having time before leaving for a year in Germany with the Rotary club, for a year of study abroad, he worked in the fields and at the farm stand. He also got to get his hands dirty by painting our house, which is now a very blueberry blue. He did a lovely job.

It was also Dina Pham’s first year working for my family, she will be a Senior at CHS this coming fall. She started out picking blueberries, then when Beka and Nat left for their own adventures Dina stepped up and covered the Farm Stand, she was always so busy with sorting, labeling, picking, and helping customers. Alas with summer ending and school starting up, sport are sure to follow, and Dina is a participant in Volleyball and with her practices right in the middle of the day, she too has ended work for the summer with us.

However this brings us to our most recent employee, Aidan Hackett, a graduate of CHS, he has spent his summer looking for a job and with our newly open position he jumped right in. Though its only been about a week he has show great enthusiasm and is an excellent sales man.

Oh, and of course there is me, Jenni Wilt, I work all year round for my parents, from driving tracker to working in the office. In the summer before our frozen market starts I am out front running the farm stand with Beka, and on Sundays once the frozen line is running.

I think its fair to say that we have excellent employees , that are hard workers, and we are lucky to have such a great group of young adults working for us, and we look forward to working with them in the future or watching them go on to do great things.

**In Picture is Beka Byland at the Saturday Market in Corvallis, in the summer of 2008**

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

2009-08-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Recipe via: Cooking Light

Extra Fiber and nutrition make this recipe a great way to use up the last of your 10 lb box of Fresh Blueberries (picked up at the farm stand last Friday) I'll have to go back tomorrow to restock.

1 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 ounces)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (about 2 1/3 ounces)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 large eggs
2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place oats in a food processor; pulse 5 to 6 times until oats resemble coarse meal. Place in a large bowl. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flours and next 5 ingredients (through salt) to oats in bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, rind, and eggs in small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss berries with 2 tablespoons flour, and gently fold them into the batter.

Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle batter with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove from pans immediately. Place on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Choosing and Care of your Fresh Blueberries

2009-08-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

When buying blueberries, first check to see that the berries aren't hard, purple (as opposed to blue) which will indicate they were picked before they were ripe, and be sure to see that they're not moldy. Fresh, ripe blueberries should not be hard to the touch, but should be firm with just a little bit of give, and a lovely, brushed blue color. This indicates that they are picked at the peak of ripeness.

The wonderful nutrients in blueberries are best sustained by keeping them cool, so purchase from a refrigerated section in the market and put them in your own fridge as soon as you get them home, and keep them there when you're not eating them. (Better yet, pick them ripe, and then put as many in your mouth as you put in a pail.) And never wash a blueberry until you are ready to use them.

You can freeze your own fresh blueberries. Do not wash them, but put them straight on a cookie sheet straight into the freezer. Once frozen, you can put them in a plastic freezer bag. You don't need to defrost blueberries to use them in baking, but if you need to, it's best to thaw slowly in the refrigerator and drain well if you are using them uncooked.

How We Control the Quality

2009-08-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Quality is an important part of what we do .
In our packing house we wash, destem, color sort, and pick out all the bad berries, then the good ones go into 30 pound boxes for cold storage.

Who oversees the quality of all this?
Who makes sure that the water levels and all the regulations are being met?

I do, Jenni Wilt. I make sure everything is running smoothly and oversee the maintenance of the facility, meaning that I check our cold room temperatures, that the metal detector is working properly. I also take grades of our berries every 10 minutes, which means I take a pound of berries off the line and sort out all the ones that don't meet our quality standards. If there are too many below grade berries, we correct the machinery. If the berries all are surpassing grade, then we know we can speed the line up (the grades have standards that are regulated by the USDA). Our farm standards exceed USDA standards.

At the end of the day I oversee line clean up and do an in house self audit, along with loading and inspecting the truck that takes our berries from our cold rooms (once in the 30 pound boxes) to a cold storage facility.

Are organic blueberries better for you?

2009-08-11T19:30:00.001-07:00

A collaborative project between the US Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University attempted to determine the nutritional difference between organic and conventional blueberries.
By Yun Xie | Last updated July 7, 2008 6:59 AM CT

Blueberries, one of my favorite fruits, have a wonderful combination of tastiness and nutritional benefits. They are low in calories and have high antioxidant content, enabling them to scavenge radicals that might otherwise damage the body. Blueberries in general have health benefits, but are organic blueberries even better than conventionally grown ones? A collaborative project between the US Department of Agriculture and Rutgers University attempted to answer that question, and the results came in the form of a recent publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry...

click here to read the full article:
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2008/07/are-organic-blueberries-better-for-you.ars

Health Benefits of Blueberries - Nutrition and more Nutrition

2009-08-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Recent studies show that of all fresh fruits and blueberries provide the most health-protecting antioxidants. Blueberries are rich in Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene as well as rich in the minerals potassium, manganese, magnesium. They are very high in fiber and low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries are even more nutritious than most. Independent testing shows that our berries have double the Vitamin A and C, and more Calcium and minerals than other organic berries and wild blueberries.

The properties of blueberries cross the blood brain barrier to effect these benefits. Antioxidants help to stop the production of free radicals. Free radicals are groups of atoms that impair the cells and the immune system which leads to disease. Anti-oxidants bind the the free electrons in free radicals.

Anthocyanins create the blue color in blueberries. They are water-soluble and will bleed into water (or on mouths and clothes). Anthocyanins are antioxidants, known to reduce heart disease and cancer in humans. They are found throughout the plant world, but blueberries are the highest of any fruit or vegetable. This substance is believed to combat E. Coli.

Chlorogenic acid is another antioxidant which may also slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream after a meal. Chlorogenic acid's antioxidant properties may help fight damaging free radicals.

Ellagic acid also appears to bind cancer-causing body chemicals,rendering them inactive.

Catechins are the phytochemical compounds that helped make a nutritional star out of green tea which is so rich in them. Current belief holds that their antioxidant effect diminishes the formation of plaque in the arteries. Further research is being done to see if they combat and/or suppress cancerous tumors and cell proliferation, but to date no evidence is solid.

Resveratrol is a substance that is produced by several plants. A number of beneficial health effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-viral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and life-prolonging effects have been reported for this substance. It is found in the skin of red grapes.

Pterostilbene is yet another antioxidant found in blueberries. Current belief holds that it may fight cancer and may also help lower cholesterol.

Heat Doesn't Impact our Blueberries too much

2009-08-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

We're still reeling from last weeks record heat, but remarkably enough, our blueberries didn't suffer much.

We think that's because our organic, biological farming techniques help protect the plants and keep them healthy and more robust for all kinds of threats and conditions. During the 105 degree weather, we only lost about 5% of our blueberries, mostly the top ones on the plant, which took the full brunt of the sun. All in all, we think our loss was less than a fourth of conventionally grown blueberries.

Why are our plants stronger?
Because of their root system. The way we dress our rows with compost, and the way we treat the leaves with compost tea, encourages our plants to put out wide and deep roots. These roots can then absorb more of any available moisture. We also think the measurably higher level of calcium in our plants, which also shows up in our berries, strengthens the cell walls and skins, offering more protection from dehydration. As a result, in a heat wave, we lose fewer berries, the ones that we pick are plump, round and juicy. And in normal conditions, we've got amazing healthy, nutritious berries with extra vitamins, calcium and other minerals.

The proof is in the berries.

Sunset Valley Organics Blueberries Featured on KMTR TV

2009-08-05T23:26:00.001-07:00

We had a great day on Tuesday talking with Kelli Warner of KMTR news in Eugene about:
Biological farming, managing soil composition for maximum plant health and nutritition
Making our own compost for quality and consistency, with high mineral density and about
Growing our delicious, nutrient dense blueberries so that they are tastier, sweeter, longer lasting and healthier than anything we've grown in the past 50 years.

Organic, Biological farming has changed our lives and our blueberries.

We hope it can make your lives sweeter and healthier too.

What a great crew, and they did a really nice story. Check it out!
(apparently it's now offline)...sorry you missed it.

The Power of Powder!

2009-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

One of our many products includes Blueberry Powder, that is we send our berries to Oregon Freeze Dried, the freeze dry them, crush them, and send us the resulting powder.

Our powder is purely blueberries, no added sugar, no preservatives, and no additives of any sort. Thus making is very concentrated and a little will go a long way.

A commonly asked question is "How can I use this blueberry powder?" Well you can use it just as a spice in baking, add it to your everyday baking, in all of your favorite recipes for a new twist on them. You can put it in yogurt, add it to jello, on top of ice cream, and whatever else you can think of, just have fun with it!

With our powder you get all the anti-oxydants and minerals that are in our berries from this powder, just becasue they have been freeze dried dosent mean that they have lost their nutritinal value.

Berries Travels: Living Earth Bakery

2009-07-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Living Earth Bakery is a gluten-free bakery, located on SW Jefferson Ave.
in Corvallis, Oregon. Jenney and Eric (the owners) found that they were gluten-intolerant, and didn't want to settle for eating "treats" that were better for being rocks than sweet deserts. They opened their doors in 2006, and now offer a wide verity of treats and breads.

Living Earth Bakery uses our organic blueberries in their blueberry muffins. And are now offering their treats through online ordering.

Follow this link to visit Living Earth Bakery online: http://www.livingearthbakery.com

All Year Yummy Blueberries!

2009-07-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

Frozen Market started today, this means that we machine pick the blueberries at night (firmest in the cool of the night), they then go into our holding rooms that are kept cool. They then make their way across an assortment of machinery including a fan, soft fruit detector, two color sorters, an inspection belt and a metal detector. To sum it up the blueberries are washed, sorted, and ready to be frozen.

We pack our berries into 30 pound boxes which are available year round to the public for $90.00, that is $3.00 per pound. We also offer gallon bags, that have five pounds of blueberries in them for $19.00, that is $3.80. Finally we have one pound bags, for 5.25 each. All the sizes are available year round, so you never run out of nutrient dense blueberries that taste great!

Our frozen market last usually three weeks once we get started, and this year we are keeping the front farm stand open an extra two weeks to keep up with demand of the U-Pick ($2.50 per pound) and our fresh market berries.

We are open seven days a week from 8am-6pm. However you are more than welcome to call, or e-mail with questions. (Check our website for details http://www.buyorganicberries.com/)

Bluerry Smoothies for Hot Weather

2009-07-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

When its this hot, I premake my smoothies by blending blueberries, banana and peaches with a little juice. I prefer apple, my daughter orange. We keep the blend mix in the fridge (for 2-3 days max), and when we want a little cool pick me up, we just add ice to the mix and blend it up...and its a perfect ....Breakfast, Lunch or Snack...and sooooo easy... almost as easy as pulling a popsicle out the freezer, and oh so much better for you.

Stay Cool

Blueberries for Health- Website

2009-07-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Blueberries for Health

I just found this great compilation of all of the research on the health effects of Blueberries, compiled by the blueberry council. http://www.blueberry.org/health.htm. I'll be excerpting more of their findings.

Among the studies:
Blueberries and Antioxidant Activity

Blueberries and Aging

Blueberries and Health

So if you're into reading the literature, and getting into the messy details, enjoy.

Me, I'm just going to relax right now with a fresh blueberry smoothie.

Berries are Ripe, Come U-Pick this weekend

2009-07-22T15:37:00.000-07:00

We're open this weekend for U-pick! or buy a flat of fresh berries at our farm stand. We've been picking by hand all week, and will start machine picking soon. Everything is ripe to perfection.

Can Foods Forestall Aging? USDA Says YES!

2009-07-21T17:42:00.000-07:00

And Blueberries rank at the top of the list!

Studies at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston suggest that consuming fruits and vegetables with a high-ORAC value may help slow the aging process in both body and brain. ORAC--short for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity--measures the ability of foods, blood plasma, and just about any substance to subdue oxygen free radicals in the test tube.

Early evidence indicates that this antioxidant activity translates to animals, protecting cells and their components from oxidative damage. Getting plenty of the foods with a high-ORAC activity, such as spinach, strawberries, and blueberries, has so far:

raised the antioxidant power of human blood,

prevented some loss of long-term memory and learning ability in middle-aged rats,

maintained the ability of brain cells in middle-aged rats to respond to a chemical stimulus, and

protected rats' tiny blood vessels—capillaries—against oxygen damage.

These results have prompted Ronald L. Prior to suggest that "the ORAC measure may help define the dietary conditions needed to prevent tissue damage.

To read the whole story:

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb99/aging0299.htm

Blueberry Ice Cream- the old fashioned kind.

2009-07-21T17:31:00.001-07:00

Awesome Blueberry Ice Cream

4 cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries
1 quart whole cream (whipping cream or 1/2 and 1/2 depending on how decadent you want to be)
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 lemon, juice and zest
pinch of salt.

Puree berries, set aside. Melt sugar into water with lemon juice and zest on low to about 125 degrees.. In separate pan, heat cream to approx 100 degrees. Mix berry puree into sugar (simple syrup) solution keeping at 125 degrees until bright blue, but not cooked.

In large mixing bowl, combine beaten yolks and salt, slowly mix cream in, wisking constantly. Add blueberry mixture, place in refrigerator to chill for about 45 minutes.

Put cooled mixture into 5 qt ice cream maker and follow instructions. Makes about 1.5 quarts.