Lemon Scented Lavender Compressed Blueberries

With succulent blueberries and fragrant lavender both in season, I thought it would be the perfect time to try a recipe of infusing the blueberries with lavender and just a hint of lemon. To do this, I gave them double treatment of both compression and warming them gently using the Anova sous vide machine. Compressing is the process of intensifying the flavors of the fruit by eliminating the air around it and compressing the ingredients added into the fruit. Sous vide adds an extra boost to the process by gently warming and releasing the essential oils in the lavender and lemon zest, while allowing the berry to retain its whole shape unlike if you were to cook blueberries on the stove top where they would break down. The process was super easy and the result was a delicate and lovely warm blueberry, slightly tangy and floral, like nature's candy. They were delicious both warm and chilled; my kids and I both just loved them! If you decide to give this recipe a try, be sure to use organic untreated lavender. Or, other interesting herbs to try with this technique might be lemon thyme or rosemary. These lavender compressed blueberries can be a fun and flavourful element to top wild salmon, waffles, cheesecake, angel food cake, or to be added to an antipasti spread with sharp cheeses. Or, just have them on their own as a healthy snack! Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• 1 tablespoon mild honey
• finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 - 3 sprigs fresh untreated lavender

Method: Preheat Anova immersion circulator to 150 F (66 C). Combine all of the ingredients and compress using a vacuum sealer. If you do not have a vacuum sealer, do your best to remove all of the air out of the sealable bag as this will still offer similar benefits. Immerse the bag of blueberries and cook for two or three hours. Remove sprig of lavender and serve warm or chilled.