Blueberries

One of the special treats that everyone can enjoy in August and sometimes early September is picking blueberries. Ask at the Chamber of Commerce Information Centre for advice about where to pick berries.

Timmins is one of the top areas in Canada to pick blueberries. In many places they cover the hillsides in a glorious blue colour. They are abundant from the last week in July to the first frost in September.

Blueberries keep well. Once they are picked and cleaned they will last up to a week if kept cool. Once picked, however, it is hard to resist making a blueberry pie, a favourite of all northern residents and visitors. Freezing blueberries allows you to enjoy the fruit all year long. They can easily be packaged and frozen to put on cereal or make pies later in the year.

There are several advantage to picking blueberries: they are excellent to eat, the experience of getting out in the bush provides rich memories and a third is they are extremely nutritious being high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. But the best part of all: the fruit is free for the picking!