Pickled Blueberries

A recipe for pickled blueberries in a recent Saveur caught my eye while I was on the airplane.

It's part of a Brie, pickled blueberry, pistachio, and chervil sandwich, which sounds interesting itself, but... pickled blueberries?

I thought it might make a nice accompaniment to a cheese tray, as a contrast to some very creamy cheeses (plus they're kind of pretty), in a salad, or even as something like a chutney-type condiment.

Sweet-tart, juicy, fruity. But you'll be surprised if you're expecting something like a blueberry muffin flavor. Very surprised.

Perhaps the flavored vinegar could be used to make a nice vinaigrette?

This version is based on a recipe of chef Tyler Kord of No. 7 Sub Shop in New York, from Saveur, April 2011.

Pickled Blueberries

makes about 2 1/2 cups

12 oz (2 1/2 c) fresh blueberries, washed

3/4 c white vinegar

1/4 c water

1/4 c sugar

1 1/2 T kosher salt

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 bay leaf

1 lemon

In a medium glass bowl, mix vinegar, water, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add the blueberries, shallot, and bay leaf and toss gently. Using a vegetable peeler, and positioning the lemon over the blueberry mixture, peel strips of lemon zest lengthwise from the lemon (each roughly two inches long). Pick up each piece of zest and twist over the bowl of blueberries to help release a spitz of lemon oil from the zest. Drop the zests back into the bowl and gently toss the mixture once again.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours, swirling the bowl occasionally during that time.

Serve at room temperature.