From This Dirt Forward

What do you do when your professional obligations get in the way of your home gardening and blogging endeavors? 

You apologize to your two loyal readers for the scarcity of your recent posts and then you offer restitution:  your original, highly coveted, never-before-unveiled, crowd-pleasing, stress-releasing, taste-bud-teasing AWESOME recipe for homemade Blueberry Ginger Mojitos.  Warning: This drink may change your life.

I know that it’s a little late in the season for most of you to get fresh local blueberries, but practicing with either imported or frozen berries will get you well-trained for next season.

The special ingredient in this mojito recipe is homemade ginger syrup, which replaces the usual simple syrup or sugar.  It’s easy to make, and if you like ginger, you’ll love having a jar of this in your refrigerator.  I’m now in the habit of livening up ice tea with a little shot of sweet ginger.  It also makes a divine addition to a standard fruit salad—along with a little mint.  It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or frozen for future use. 

Secret ingredients: fresh blueberry juice and ginger syrup

FRESH BLUEBERRY GINGER MOJITOS

For a single mojito:

Juice from 1/2 of a fresh lime
10-12 fresh spearmint leaves, torn
About 10 fresh (or frozen) whole blueberries
2 oz ginger syrup (see below)
2 oz blueberry juice (see below)
2 oz white rum

Club soda

Drop fresh blueberries one-by-one into the bottom of a 16 oz. glass or mason jar, repeating “kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk” with each blueberry until finished*.  Add the lime juice, mint leaves and ginger syrup.  Muddle with a twisting motion to release the essential oils in the mint and lime.  Fill the glass with ice, add the blueberry juice, the rum, and then top it off with club soda.  Like fresh strawberry mojitos, this is a really refreshing and enjoyable drink in a virgin state as well. 

* Just a little shout out to my favorite children’s book Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey.  Also an incredibly easy way to annoy your husband while picking blueberries.

GINGER SYRUP

2 cups thinly sliced fresh ginger, unpeeled (about ½ lb.)
3 cups water
2 cups sugar

Bring ginger and water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in sugar until dissolved.  Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let steep for 20 minutes.  Pour mixture through a sieve, discarding ginger.  Chill.

BLUEBERRY JUICE

Adding a couple of ounces of blueberry juice to this mojito gives it a beautiful deep burgundy color and also ensures that the blueberry flavor isn’t lost among the other flavors of the drink.  I don’t sweeten the blueberry juice because I find there’s enough sweetness from the ginger syrup.

TIP: It's best not to leave simmering ginger or blueberries unattended at any time.

 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup water

Combine blueberries and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil and then simmer about 10 minutes until blueberries are soft.  Cool.  Pour mixture through a sieve.  For a clearer juice, subsequently pour through cheese cloth.  Use leftover juice for blueberry martinis, iced tea flavoring, or pure and simple antioxidant shots.

Now, get out a pitcher, multiply this recipe by 5, invite a friend, and meet them in the garden.