The Fall of the Blueberry

There isn't a berry in the world as fun to corrupt as a blueberry.

Blackberries are luscious, voluptuous mouthfuls that burst and fill your senses with flavor, leaving behind purple stains like a lover's last lingering embrace.

Strawberries are an innocently seductive first kiss on a summer's day, deep red perfection that tempts, lures and then leaves laughing.

Raspberries are classy elegance, coming to life when drizzled with dark chocolate. They give a hint of sweetness and then disappear like a wisp of silk on a breeze.

But blueberries, ah, blueberries are the "healthy" berry. They're full of antioxidants. They're one of the twelve best foods. They're super berries.

And oh how I love to corrupt them.

I bring them into my house, the blue globes so plump and sweet. I start slowly, putting handfuls in my oatmeal. They burst, turning the gray oats purple, delighting my children and taste buds.

Then, I get a little devious. I mix them with zucchini and batter and bake loaves of bread. I mix them with sour cream and bake them into a pie. I fill the house with the smells and tastes of sweet berries and sugar.

And then the the ultimate corruption.

The room is hot, steamy. Tendrils of hair curl at the nape of my neck as I bring the cool berries out of the fridge. I gently wash them under a slow stream of water. They tumble out of my hand into a bowl. I crush them, opening them, exposing them.

I pour thick, sweet honey out of a jar, coating the berries in sticky sunshine. I add sugar and spicy nutmeg, bringing the concoction to a boil. I squeeze a lemon into the pot, sucking on my finger and tasting the sweetness of the honey and the tang of lemon.

I boil them until the pieces of berry float in a sweet honey bath. Then, I fill jars, lining them on the counter. The light reflects off the facets of glass, highlighting the final corruption of the blueberry.

Once a super berry, now embraced by sugar and honey.

This post was inspired by The Red Dress Club Remembe(red) prompt:  write about your favorite fresh fruit or vegetable.

This was difficult for two reasons. 1. I like a lot of fruits and vegetables. As a budding gardener, I'm enthralled by the process of seed to table. 2. It's not my normal style of writing. I decided to play a bit and see what I came up with.

Also, I only used half the words I was allotted. That MUST be a record of some sort.

You can also find me today on Makes Fun where I review the SodaStream. Which is NOT a fresh fruit or veggie. It might actually be the opposite.