One of my favorite things to do during the summer is going to Green Bluff, an association of small family farms and food stands. They always have fresh pick-your-own fruit and great activities for my son. Their annual festivals are also a family favorite.
Last month, my family and I picked blueberries for the first time. Not only was it an adventure, but it was a heck of a deal as well. In total, we picked 17 pounds of blueberries for only $17. Yes, we paid only a $1 a pound.
With a deal like that, we couldn't resist. After leaving a pound of fresh blueberries out for lunches, I decided to freeze the rest. So what do you do with 16 pounds of frozen blueberries sitting in your freezer? You bake a pie of course!
I am going to be truthful and tell you I have never baked a pie before. Yes, I am 31 years old, and I have never made a pie. So, I decided to give it a try.
Since I was new at this whole pie thing, I wanted a recipe that wasn't complicated but still tasted delicious. I didn't want to spend all day in the kitchen making everything from scratch. I also didn't want to waste 4 cups of perfectly good blueberries on a botched recipe.
This recipe came from a mom who works full time, has a son who just started preschool, runs a business, and who has a boyfriend who just started flag football season. It's simple, easy, and perfect for beginners who don't have a lot of time and who are just starting to navigate their way around baking.
The one thing that I love about this recipe is it's filling. I have had blueberry pie before, and the one thing that always stood out for me was how runny the filling was. You cut into it and ended up getting a big blob of a mess on your plate. Not with this recipe. The filling is the perfect blend of blueberry, sugar, and cinnamon. It's thick enough to get a full mouth full when you take a bite, and it keeps its shape when you cut a slice.
If you want to make a lattice pie crust as I did, I found this article very helpful, and it's what I used to make mine.
If you are looking a blueberry pie recipe that won't take up your whole day, is easy to make, and is filled with delicious berry sweetness, then this recipe is definitely worth trying. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did and I look forward to sharing more pie recipes with you in the future!
- CRUST
- 1 package of 2 premade pie crusts (Pillsbury makes a great pie crust)
- PIE FILLING
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (If your blueberries aren't that sweet, use a little more sugar)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups fresh blueberries (If you are using frozen blueberries, use 6 cups)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- CRUST GLAZE
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon course sugar, or all organic sugar
- If your pie crust is frozen, make sure you thaw to room temperature.
- Unroll one of the pie crusts and lay gently in your pie pan. Make sure not to spread the pie crust. This might leave holes. To prevent the need to stretch or thin out the premade crust, make sure you buy the correct size for the pie dish you're using.
- After laying the pie crust gently in your pie pan, you should have excess dough about 2 inches larger than your dish.
- Refrigerate while you make the pie filling.
- Stir sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in large mixing bowl. Once combined, add your blueberries and gently toss to combine. Make sure not to squash all of your blueberries. I didn't even use a spatula to combine the ingredients. Just toss in the bowl.
- Once all of your blueberries are fully coated, transfer the filling to your prepared pie crust.
- Dot pie filling with butter.
- Refrigerate while you prepare the top crust.
- Roll out the second premade pie crust. If you want to make things really easy, you can just put the pie crust over the blueberry filling and leave as is.
- If you want to make a lattice crust as I made, make sure to watch the video I posted in the article to learn how.
- Once your crust is covering your pie filling, trim the edges to get rid of any excess dough. Leave about half an inch over the sides. Crimp to secure the edges.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on the lower third of the oven. This will catch any drips from the pie while it's baking)
- Bake the chilled pie on a hot baking sheet for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 35-40 minutes. If your crust begins to brown too much during the baking process, cover with aluminum foil and continue to bake for the full time. When done, the crust should be golden brown, and the filling should be bubbling.
- Cool 2 to 3 hours before cutting to allow the filling to set and harden.
