Easily Enhance Blueberry Flavors With The Addition Of One Spice

Blueberries are a fruit that hold a well-deserved place in the world of baked goods. Whether you're making muffins, pie, or blueberry babka, the fruit provides the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. And since blueberries don't last that long in the fridge, it's always good to have a recipe where you can put them to use. But if you feel that your blueberry flavors are missing a little something, add in a little ground coriander. Okay yes, it sounds weird — but it's a game changer.

Coriander and blueberries both contain linalool, which is a type of terpene –-  a natural compound responsible for specific smells and flavors in many plants (and it can even fix a bad high). The kind of linalool found in both these foods is similar in taste and aroma — so the coriander will enhance and deepen the blueberries' natural sweet and floral taste. It's essentially an easy trick to add a layer of depth to your blueberry flavors without anybody knowing your secret ingredient.

When it comes to enhancing your blueberry flavors, a little coriander goes a long way – around a pinch is a great place to start. If you're using pre-ground coriander, you can use a little more, since the taste will be milder. For something like a blueberry compote or jam, you can add your coriander at the beginning of the cooking process with the rest of your ingredients. If you're making pie, toss your blueberries with the ground coriander and other filling ingredients before popping them into the pie shell.

Adding your coriander to your dried ingredients is the best way to incorporate it evenly in muffin, scone, or cake batter. And if blueberry crisp or crumble is your thing, you can add the coriander to either the fruit filling or mix it into the crumble topping — both will add a pop of flavor to your dessert. Whichever blueberry recipe you choose, a touch of coriander might be the unexpected addition that makes all the difference.