Get to Know the Market: Bow Hill Blueberries

Get to Know the Market with Bow Hill Blueberries

It’s nearly July so we are dreaming about perfectly ripe blueberries. You know the ones that taste so much better than the soggy ones you get year-round from the grocery store. That’s why we connected with Bow Hill Blueberries to find out what we can expect from this family-owned farm in Skagit Valley during their first season at the QAFM. The organic farm—run by the Soltes family since they took over in 2001—specializes in heirloom berries and harvests over 4,500 bushes each season. Here’s what we learned:

Q: How did Bow Hill get started?  

A: We are the second owners of what is now named, Bow Hill Blueberries. The Anderson family planted the blueberries back in 1947 and planted four varieties, three of which are heirloom (essentially the closest cultivated blueberries to the ones you could find it in the wild). We bought the farmhouse and weren’t planning on becoming blueberry farmers. We tried to find someone to farm the berries organically—since the farmhouse is surrounded by the blueberry plants on three sides—but couldn’t find anyone who would farm them organically, so we decided to do it ourselves!

Q: Can you tell us more about the types of blueberries and how they are different?

A: We grow three heirlooms and one modern variety. Our three heirlooms are the Rubel, Stanley, and Jersey. Our modern one is Bluecrop. The Rubel and Stanley both are tiny in comparison to the fruit you may come across at the grocery store, more like the size of a wild mountain huckleberry. They have much thicker skin, making them really great for baking as the skins don’t “pop” under the heat. We use the Stanley’s in our pickled heirloom blueberries as their thick skin allows them to stay whole while sitting in brine. The Jersey is a really good berry for smoothies and for eating frozen and is what the Seattle Seahawks order for their player smoothie bar. We combine the Rubel and Jersey to make our pure cold-pressed blueberry juice. The Bluecrops cook down into a very wonderful flavor and that is what we make our confiture and marinade & salad dressing from. The Bluecrops are great to eat frozen, baked in pies, smoothies, and fresh!

Q: Can you tell me about the name?  

A: Bow Hill Blueberries got its name based on geography. Our son, who was around your age when we purchased the farm, suggested Bow Hill Blueberries since the farm is located on Bow Hill Road.

Q: When can we expect the peak blueberries to be at the Market?

A: Peak blueberry season typically comes around mid-July and lasts for six or so weeks. 

Q: Do you have any blueberry recipes you can share with us?

A: We have so many wonderful recipes! That’s a hard one to answer. We get most excited about our Organic Pickled Heirloom Blueberries and love suggesting the Salmon with Pickled Blueberries and Créme Fraîche. For our kid fans, we love promoting the Blue Moo — 2 ounces of our cold-pressed pure heirloom blueberry juice mixed in with a glass of cold milk or milk alternative! More delicious recipes can be found on our website, www.bowhillblueberries.com.

Q: What is the most important thing to know about farming blueberries?

A: Birds LOVE blueberries so we have to do a lot of bird deterring. It has taken some trial and error, but our current system is to use a sky puppet like you see at Jiffy Lube. You know those dancing characters that are filled with air. And [we have] two shiny balloons high in the sky. Thankfully our neighbors have a huge conifer on their property that raptors hang out in. Starlings naturally fear raptors and this helps keep them away, as an entire flock can decimate our crop.

Q: My family was growing a small blueberry plant in our backyard and we discovered a Steller’s jay had eaten nearly all of the berries. We will have to buy ours from you. Once we do, how should we store fresh blueberries, so they last the longest? 

A: When you get them home, place in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. We suggest rinsing them right before eating or using in a dish. Once blueberries are wet, they start to split. We don’t pick them when it’s raining and wait for them to dry for this very reason.

Q: How many farmers' markets do you sell at?

A: We are currently at markets in Everett (Sundays), Anacortes (Saturdays), and in both Queen Anne and Bellevue on Thursdays. Year-round you can find us at West Seattle’s market on Sundays.

Q: Anything special you can share with us about your farm?

A:  Our farm is the oldest blueberry farm in the entire Skagit Valley and one of the first in all of Washington State! We are only the second family to own it since 1933. We are a small farm with a huge commitment to growing and preserving heirloom blueberries organically. Though the “you-pick” option is not happening for the 2020 season [because of Covid], in past and future years, our customers who are older than the plants (planted in 1947) get to pick for free!

Interview by QAFM reporter Max Chandrasekaran.