When you need to use up extra blueberries, this is the way to give them a couple more weeks of life: Make sauce. Then spoon it over vanilla ice cream, onto toasted shortcake biscuits, or into yogurt.

Susie Middleton

Many cooks like to thicken blueberry sauce with cornstarch, but I prefer to cook the blueberries and sugar until the mixture is fairly reduced. It will thicken as it cools (and especially in the fridge), but will still be somewhat loose – perfect for topping ice cream. Many of the berries will remain mostly whole, but if you like, you can add an extra handful of berries in halfway through cooking.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Pinch ground cinnamon

 

1. In a large nonstick skillet, combine the berries, sugar, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook until reduced by almost half, about 12 to 14 minutes, stirring and keeping an eye on the mixture increasingly as it reduces.

2. Let the sauce cool off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and a pinch of cinnamon (if using) and refrigerate. (It will thicken up).