The taste of summer, blueberry sangria combines red wine with a load of blueberries and other fruits. The right kind of drink for sipping outdoors on a warm evening with friends. (Skip to recipe.)
Sangria spells summer - or almost (it's only one letter more, but who's counting?)
It's the kind of drink that seems to work best sitting out on the deck with friends, in the shade of a leafy tree, with the breeze blowing just enough to keep the mosquitoes away, and the sound of the birds chirping to accompany lazy conversation. Yes, I could put away a few glasses of the slightly sweet, fruity wine . . . and feel like I'm somewhere else - maybe Spain or Portugal or Argentina (all places where sangria is commonly found).
After a hard day sweating in the garden, tackling the weeds that threaten to engulf the rows of struggling seedlings after all this rain, I need a shower and then a glass of fruity blueberry sangria.
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Kitchen Frau Notes: Any red wine would work here - don't waste your money using a really expensive wine. (White wine works, too!)
Whenever I use citrus fruits with the peel in a recipe, I try to find organic ones. Most regular ones are sprayed with pesticides and/or coated with preservatives, which concentrate in the peel. It's worth searching out the organic ones.
Blueberry Sangria
- 1 cup (240ml) blueberries
- ¼ cup (50gms) sugar
- 1 lemon
- 1 orange
- 10 cherries (optional)
- 1 bottle (750ml) red wine
- ¼ cup (60ml)brandy
- ¼ cup (60ml) orange or cherry liqueur
- 3 cups (750ml) carbonated/sparkling water or club soda (2 - 355ml cans)
Place blueberries and sugar in the bottom of a large pitcher. Using a wooden spoon 'muddle' the berries and sugar (partially squish and stir and squash) together. You want some berries broken, some slightly squashed and some whole.
Slice the ends off the lemon and orange, cut them in quarters lengthwise, then slice each quarter crosswise into about ¼ inch (.5cm) slices. Remove any seeds. Add the citrus slices to the blueberries.
If using the cherries, use a small sharp paring knife to cut each one in half all the way around to the pit, give the halves a twist in opposite directions, and remove the pit (like cutting peaches). Add these to the pitcher.
Add the wine, brandy and liqueur, cover the pitcher with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
Just before serving, add the sparkling water.
Place several ice cubes in each glass and pour the sangria over, using a large spoon to add some fruit to each glass. Give guests a spoon to eat the luscious bits of liquored fruit as they sip their cooling sangria.
Makes about 6 cups sangria, plus the fruit.
Guten Appetit!
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Vivian
A cool pitcher of that sangria would have been devine today under a shady tree with our 32+ degree temps! It is very pretty. Thank you for the inspiration. I'm sure a few more scorching days are in the forecast. Cheers!
Margaret
Yes, I'm holding my breath that we'll have a great summer with a few more hot days, although the over-30 degree ones are definitely only for lolling around in the shade!
Happy summer to you!