Blueberries grow wild in Alaska. We had tons of blueberry bushes in Kodiak where I grew up and {much to my mother’s delight} I loved to pick them! My friends and I would go blueberry picking and come home with our little buckets full of blueberries. We would fill the kitchen sink up with water, let the blueberries soak, and then play with the insects that crawled out of them {I know… eww!}. My mom would freeze the {insect free} berries and we would use them in baked goods throughout the year.
Someone recently asked me if I was from Alaska, and the answer is yes. =) I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but my parents moved to Kodiak, Alaska, when I was 9 months old. I spent my entire childhood on Kodiak Island and didn’t move to the Anchorage, Alaska, area until after I graduated high school. I still do live in Alaska, in the Matanuska Valley area, which is about an hours drive north of Anchorage. I sure do miss Kodiak at times, though; it was a wonderful place to grow up.
Surrounded by ocean and wilderness, I was able to see and taste some of the finest wild game and seafood. Halibut, salmon, and venison dishes were a regular at our family dinner table. I’ve had halibut and salmon cooked, baked, and fried just about any way you could possibly imagine. Out of all the fresh seafood I’ve had over the years, Kodiak scallops and crab are my ultimate favorites.
This next picture {below} requires a little bit more than a caption. I think I was 2 years old, and I’m being held by a family friend who was an Alaskan Native. He was feeding me raw muktuk, which is the skin and blubber layer of whales (I believe the muktuk he was feeding me was from a Bowhead Whale, but I’m not sure). I don’t remember eating muktuk, but my parents told me I loved it (I can’t say I would feel the same about it if I tried it again now)!
This next recipe is a fairly newer one I’ve been making. The girls and I like to eat it on toast made from my favorite gluten and rice free multigrain bread. It would also make a wonderful fruit dip straight out of the blender or as a waffle or pancake topping. However you choose to enjoy it, I am positive you will love it!
This recipe is linked to AIP Round Table, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Kids in the Kitchen, Thriving on Thursdays, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Wellness Weekend, Freaky Friday, Fight Back Friday, Food on Fridays, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, GAPS Friendly Friday, Healthy Vegan Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.
Blueberry Coconut Butter Recipe:
Yields about 5 cups
2 packages of Let’s Do Organic unsweetened shredded coconut (about 5 ⅓ cups, packed)
⅓ cup coconut oil
¼ cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed*
2 – 3 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, stevia, etc.
3 cups fresh blueberries
- Using a high speed blender (like a Vitamix), process the shredded coconut on high until it turns into “butter.” Use the tamper to carefully push the coconut down into the blades of the blender while you are processing it; this step should take less than a minute.
- Blend in the coconut oil, lemon juice, and sweetener of choice.
- Add the blueberries to the blender and blend on high, using the tamper to push the blueberries down into the blades. Process until smooth.
- Divide the Blueberry Coconut Butter into 5 glass storage jars (I use canning jars), leaving a inch of room at the top of each jar. Refrigerate what will be consumed within a week; freeze the remaining to retain freshness.
Megan’s Notes:
This butter does firm up in the refrigerator once it is cold, so if you are using it as a fruit dip, plan to use it as one straight out of the blender.
*If you are using tart blueberries, you may not need to use the full ¼ cup of lemon juice. Leave the lemon juice out of the recipe until after you have the blueberries blended, and then taste and decide if you would like to add lemon juice (add tablespoon by tablespoon until the desired taste is achieved). The blueberries I used were very sweet.
I’ve also used this recipe to make strawberry coconut butter, although I did not use the full ¼ cup of lemon juice in the strawberry butter.
Do you have a question you’d like to ask me? What my favorite hobby is, or about my life in Alaska, etc? Ask me a question and I just might answer it in my next blog post!
Enjoy,
Megan
xoxo
sheila says
This looks delicious. Definitely going to try it. I work with a girl who is from Kodiak. She had told me before that its a smaller sized city….I am now wondering if you know her. Her name is Djuna.
Marie says
I so have to try that. It looks and sounds delicious. Great seeing that blueberries are plentiful at the moment. Hope you are well Megan. xoxox
suryasmiles says
Ok, I just had to make this ASAP! I had to substitute because I didn’t have enough of everything you listed. I used 1.5 C coconut, 1/2 C coconut oil, 1/8 C fresh lemon juice, 20 drops liquid stevia and 2 C fresh Oregon blueberries (I know, haven’t been blueberry picking yet here!). Wow, this would make a great substitute on pie for whipped cream as a vegan substitute! Even apiece of blueberry or rhubarb pie! Thank you for the great idea! I’ll try it tomorrow on my Van’s GF vegan waffle, yum!
Ellen Anderson says
LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep the recipes coming! AWESOME WITH MAINE WILD BLUEBERRIES!!!
Carol, Simply Gluten-freey Gluten Free says
I love blueberries, what a great idea!
Karin Goodman says
It looks lovely, my kids and I are not coconut fans, but I love to use coconut oil in baking and cooking. How much coconut flavor is there? Might try a parcial recipe to see. It looks amazing.
Sue says
my dream is to vist Alaska ,so I was glad when I found you,I can almost feel the fresh air. The pictures are great to. Cant wait to try your blueberry coconut butter.
Mamacook (@Mamacook_Blog) says
Just visiting from Foodie Friday. Looks delicious!
mscarletti says
This sound wonderful. I love coconut oil and sugar free. Yum!
Wenchypoo says
Question: have you ever tried either of your fruited coconut butters as the base for homemade Coconut Secret bars? I’m thinking they might be the answer to a plain coconut bar center.
Ricki says
YUM!!! I think I’d like some of that for brekkie. 🙂 Thanks for linking up to Wellness Weekend this week! 🙂
everydayvegangirl says
Coconut and blueberries…what a great combo! That is my favorite brand of coconut, too!
Thanks for linking up to HVF again!
Heather says
Yummy, this looks great. I loooove coconut butter. Have seen berry coconut butters before but haven’t tried. Now I just might have to. Your picture looks deeeelish.
Carole says
Lovely use of berries. Berries and currants are this week’s subject for Food on Friday. Would you be happy to link this in? We are looking to create a fantastic collection of berry dishes. This is the link . I found you in the Simple Living with Diane Balch party.
Carole says
thanks for linking this in. Cheers
Happy Little Feet says
So delicious we will make this today
Kirstin Hill Enanoria says
Looks good-need to get some more coconut and whip it up. 🙂
Diane Balch (@DianeBalch) says
You do realize how rare it is to say that you actually ate whale. Those king crabs are so much bigger than I imaged them to be. Thank you for a glimpse into a place a want very much to visit and thanks for sharing your recipe on foodie friday.
Little Sis says
Wow! That looks amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing.
Health & Organic Wellbeing (H.O.W.) says
Thank you for sharing this!
Kelly says
This looks great!. Love blueberries & coconut!.
[email protected] says
Yum yum yum! Glad I found your blog 🙂 🙂
Eileen @ Phoenix Helix says
Hi Megan. I just started a blog carnival focused on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol, and this recipe fits the protocol perfectly. Any chance you’d be willing to link up? I’m trying to expand resources for the AIP community: http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/10/30/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-1/
Eileen @ Phoenix Helix says
Hi Megan. This recipe is featured at this week’s Paleo AIP Recipe Roundtable. If you feel like linking up another, I was just browsing your blog, and your mango sorbet looks yummy and is also AIP! http://www.phoenixhelix.com/2013/11/06/paleo-aip-recipe-roundtable-2/
Sheryl says
Sounds really tasty, however; I’m not a real coconut lover is there a substitute that I could use?
Megan says
No, there’s not. If you don’t like coconut, this definitely isn’t the right recipe for you. 😉
Jacie Davis says
I’m guessing my ninja isn’t powerful enough because all I got was crunchy whip 🙁 or did I do something wrong?
Megan says
Hmm… I’m guessing it was the Ninja. My Vitamix makes coconut butter in less than 30 seconds (if not 20??). Sorry! ;(