Florida Blueberry Cheesecake

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fresh From Florida for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve been lucky in my pregnancy that I haven’t been craving sweets, well, except for cheesecake. I’ve always had a weakness for cheesecake. My girlfriends and I would rather have a  cheesecake than a  birthday cake, so when it was one of our birthdays, we always just got each other a cheesecake instead of a real cake.

My husband does the same thing for me almost every year now to. He’ll either make or buy a cheesecake birthday cake for me. Of, it’s  so good, and especially good if it’s topped with fresh fruit like this blueberry cheesecake.

For this cheesecake, I used fresh Florida blueberries. Blueberries are in season right now and best of all, on sale. They’re super sweet too, perfect for anytime of the day snacking or to use in sweet recipes like this one. There’s even some u-pick farms where you can go pick your own. Picking your own blueberries is a great family activity to get the kids outside and get some fresh air.

It’s so easy to eat fresh, local fruits and vegetables here in Florida because our growing season is all year long. The mild temperatures here in Florida allows for us to have have fresh fruits and vegetables all year. Eating these fresh, seasonal items means foods are fresher and tastier, and the nutritional value is optimized. It encourages a diverse diet that is often more economical and harmonizes with nature’s production cycle.

To find the freshest foods, make sure to look for the Fresh From Florida logo. This way you’ll be sure that the produce is local and fresh. You can find this logo in the produce department, the seafood department and in your favorite local Florida restaurants.

So what’s in season right now? Lots of stuff! In April we have fresh:

  • Bell peppers
  • Blueberries
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cabbage
  • Carambola
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Celery
  • Cucumber
  • Eggplant
  • Grapefruit
  • Guava
  • Lettuce
  • Mushrooms
  • Oranges
  • Papaya
  • Peanut
  • Potatoes
  • Radish
  • Snap beans
  • Squash
  • Strawberries
  • Sweet corn
  • Tangerines
  • Tomatoes
  • Watermelons

For this recipe I used fresh Florida Blueberries.  The Florida blueberries are really cheap right now, so I’ve been incorporating them into lots of different recipes. They are super sweet and flavorful. I love to incorporate them into my breakfast cereal, in sweet treats like this one, and savory dishes too.  This afternoon,  I found this great recipe for Florida Blueberry Cheesecake on the Fresh From Florida site. This cheesecake makes a wonderfully treat for entertaining or any time of the week.

You can head over to the Fresh From Florida site and view some great recipes that utilize fresh seasonal Florida produce and seafood. Be sure to check back often because they update the site with seasonal recipes. Or, next time you are dining out or shopping for groceries, look for the Fresh From Florida logo to make sure that your food selections are fresh, healthy and support your local community. Be sure to connect with Fresh From Florida on Facebook and Fresh From Florida on Twitter too!

Yield: Serves 6 - 12

Florida Blueberry Cheesecake


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Print Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole cheesecake (homemade or store bought)
  • 4 pints Florida blueberries, rinsed
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup natural Florida sugar
  • Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Directions:

In a small sauce pot, combine 2 pints blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and water.

Place sauce pot over medium high heat.

Stir contents of pot as it comes to a boil, reduce heat to simmer.

Cook blueberry mixture for 20 minutes or until it coats the back of a spoon.

Strain blueberry sauce through a sieve if desired.

Let blueberry sauce cool to room temperature, and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Top the cheesecake with some of the cooled blueberry sauce, leaving extra for garnish.

Place fresh leftover blueberries on top of the cheesecake and garnish with fresh mint.

Serve the blueberry topped cheesecake with extra blueberry sauce.

All text and images © / Eclectic Recipes
*Nutritional Information is not guaranteed for 100% accuracy.

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The following image is courtesy of Fresh from Florida.

Want some more blueberry inspiration? Why not try out these amazing Florida Blueberry Pancakes!

Florida Blueberry Pancakes

  • Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients:

Blueberry Pancakes

  • 2 ½ cups pancake mix
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1 ½ cups fresh Florida blueberries plus more for garnish
  • ¼ stick of butter for cooking

Florida Honey Butter

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup Florida honey

Florida Blueberry Compote

  • 4 cups fresh Florida blueberries
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ lemon, juiced

Florida Blueberry Cream

  • 2 cups fresh Florida blueberries
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 6 tablespoons sugar, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

Blueberry Pancakes

  1. Whisk together the pancake mix, milk, and ricotta cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
  2. The pancake batter should be thick (you can adjust the consistency by adding more milk or pancake mix).
  3. Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. Preheat a large sauté pan or griddle over medium heat.
  4. Add a small amount of butter to the cooking surface.
  5. Add an even amount of pancake mix to the cooking surface, making sure not to overcrowd the cooking surface.
  6. Let the pancakes cook until bubbles start to form in the top of the batter.
  7. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until golden brown and cooked throughout.
  8. Repeat process until all the pancake batter is used.
  9. Keep cooked pancakes warm in a 250-degree oven until ready to serve.

Florida Honey Butter

  1. In a small mixing bowl, combine honey and butter.
  2. Stir ingredients until combined and creamy.
  3. Serve at room temperature.

Florida Blueberry Compote

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine 2 cups blueberries, sugar and lemon juice.
  2. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer while stirring.
  3. Cook blueberry compote for 6 to 10 minutes until thickened.
  4. Transfer blueberry compote to a bowl and add the other 2 cups of fresh blueberries.
  5. Serve at room temperature.

Florida Blueberry Cream

  1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and lemon juice.
  2. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer while stirring.
  3. Cook blueberry compote for 6 to 10 minutes until thickened.
  4. Let cool slightly and puree in a food processor or blender. Strain blueberry mixture through a sieve and refrigerate until cool.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk cream and 3 tablespoons of sugar until soft peaks form.
  6. Add the blueberry mixture and carefully fold in, making sure not to over-mix.
  7. Serve cold.

Both recipes courtesy of Fresh From Florida.

This delicious recipe brought to you by Eclectic Recipes
https://eclecticrecipes.com/florida-blueberry-cheesecake/