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We know summer is on it’s way each time we get the e-mail from Temecula Berry Company that their blueberries are ripe and ready to be picked. So we all pile into the car far earlier than we normally would on a Saturday morning and make the 90-minute drive to Temecula. It’s a sunny, hot good time. And I’m always the last one pulled away from the bushes. Picking fruit is just addictive to me, and I don’t know why.

Aside from freezing a few pounds for smoothies and making our usual stockpile of jam that will hopefully last until we pick again next year, I try to come up with something different for all those berries. This time I was inspired to make some frozen yogurt. Something tart and cool to get us through these last few weeks of school.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

{adapted from simplyrecipes.com}

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (about 1 1lb)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup to 1 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet your blueberries are, and how sweet you want the result to be

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups full fat plain yogurt (full fat yogurt is preferred, if you use low-fat or non-fat yogurt, substitute 1/4 cup of it with heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup whole milk

Place the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium heat, stirring, until all of the sugar has dissolved. While the mixture is heating, use a potato masher to mash up the blueberries. When all of the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

If you want a smooth result, you can process the cooled mixture in a food processor, or skip, in which case you’ll have pieces of blueberries which can add flavorful texture to the frozen yogurt.

Stir in the yogurt and milk until completely incorporated. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for several hours (or overnight) until completely cold.

Process the blueberry yogurt mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions (usually about 25 minutes). Serve immediately (it will be soft) or let it firm up a bit by freezing it for several hours.

Make about 1 quart.