Blueberry Pie
By Kath Dedon
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I think it’s been years since I’ve made a Blueberry Pie, but I don’t know why. When I was a kid, it was my very favorite pie! Mom used the recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, and it was always fabulously runny juicy!
I really did like it juicy, but I don’t think she was so thrilled about it. I remember she always used to prop her leftover blueberry pies up in an attempt to get the juices to flow back into the pie.
Over the years when I have made Blueberry Pie, I always used the recipe from my copy of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, so that’s the recipe I used this time.
I have used honey in the past, but I decided to try maple sugar this time. It’s good either way. Of course, you can also use 1 cup of regular sugar.
(If you want to try it with honey, use 2/3 cup honey instead of the sugar; stir the 1/3 cup flour (or tapioca flour), the lemon zest, and the dash of salt into the honey until it’s all well-blended. Then stir the mixture into the blueberries.)
For a thickener, I always used flour, but last summer when I made Marionberry Pie I got great results with tapioca flour. I thought about using it with the Blueberry Pie, but decided to make it the way I had in the past. Next time I’ll try it with tapioca flour. I think it will still be juicy enough for me, but it might hold together a little better.
I could have bought fresh blueberries from South America, but I used local frozen ones from Remlinger Farms. I let the blueberries defrost first (as Better Homes and Gardens had suggested), but an online search brought up several bakers who said they successfully used blueberries frozen. That may be something else that I will try next time.
It really is a treat to have a Blueberry Pie in January! I have enough blueberries to make another pie sometime soon. This pie was quite good, but I think it may be a recipe in progress, so stay tuned!
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Blueberry Pie
(Adapted from a recipe in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)
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If you are using fresh blueberries, the recipe says to use ¼ cup of flour instead of 1/3 cup.
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Recipe for 2-Crust Easy Pie Crust, or your favorite pie crust
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour (or tapioca flour)
Zest of one small lemon
Dash salt
1½ pounds frozen blueberries (about 6 cups)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
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1. Put a large baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 375˚.
2. Make the pie crust, and line a 9-inch pie plate with half of the crust.
3. Combine the sugar, flour, lemon zest, and the dash of salt in a large bowl. Add the blueberries and stir gently until they are well-coated.
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4. Put the blueberries into the pie crust, and drizzle the lemon juice over them.
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5. Dot with butter.
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6. Add the top crust and finish the edge as you wish. (I crimp it with a fork.) Cut vents in the top for steam.
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7. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
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Here’s how it looked today, after sharing it with friends last night. You can see how runny juicy it is…..pretty much just the way I like it!
In the kitchen with Kath 
My pies never turn out as nicely as that. They end up getting too dry:S
But, this is my type of pie…sooooooo juicy! Yum!
If I may be so bold, here’s how to avoid a runny pie. Fresh or frozen, blueberries are going to exude a lot of juice. After you mix in the other ingredients (I like tapioca flour, too), cook it on the stovetop gently for about 15 minutes to let some of the juices run out. When cool, drain off that excess juice before you fill your pie shell. Your pie will still be moist and juicy but not runny. Nummm!
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Thanks for that, Phyllis! I’ve read a similar solution on Cook’s Illustrated. I have been afraid that cooking it like that would make it more like a jam. Have you done it and it worked well? I do have to say, though, that I do like a runnier (or juicier) version of blueberry pie. It’s what I grew up with. 🙂
I precooked the filling mix for about 10 minutes on low, then put it all in pie shell. Came out moist with just a little running juices. My family loved it. Thanks for the idea.
Thanks for letting me know how well it worked for you, Lindsay. After the recommendation from you and Phyllis, I may try cooking the berries first next time.
Blueberry is one of my favorite pie fruits. Very nice looking and well executed pie.
it looks delicious!
hi Kath
what a perfect pie!! I do love blueberry pie, and right now it’s like a little bit of summer!!
I have used tapioca pearls in my juicy pies, I have used the flour….does it work the same way?
Cheers
Dennis
It’s been so long since I used tapioca pearls in a pie, Dennis, that it’s hard for me to compare. I think tapioca flour works the same as the pearls. I didn’t like the texture of the pearls when I tried using them years ago.
Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Looks just wonderful and full of juice! Luckily we can still get decent blueberries around here. Thanks for sharing.
I LOVE blueberries (as i have attested to several times on my own blog!) and would love this pie. I tend to not make things too often with them though unless I’m sharing other than at home because Grumpy really doesn’t care for them much. I think there’s something wrong with him! ha!
Oh blueberry pie is like pure heaven to me! Especially if the blueberries are fresh from the garden…this look simply heavenly!
Oh, a taste of summer in January…so wonderful! My dh would be in heaven to come home to your pie!!!
That is one juicy pie. I can just taste it with some vanilla ice cream. I love how frozen food allows us to have summer foods in the winter. Fabulous!!
Blue berry pie can be perfection. I guess that’s why I never made fear that mine would not be perfect. Your beautiful pie inspires me. GREG
Thanks, Greg! Loved your post yesterday about how pies are the latest “hot” dessert! Pies have always been popular around our house! 🙂
Mmmmm blueberry pie…just the hint of summer that I need right now. Thanks for sharing!
Yum! My all-time favorite pie! Every year we go up Gap Mountain behind our house and picked quarts of blueberries to gorge on and then more to freeze for the wintertime pancakes, muffins, and pies. That is one beautiful pie you have made! Summer on a plate!
How wonderful to have all of those blueberry bushes right by your house! I’d love to plant some. There are all kinds of varieties, apparently. They are pretty bushes and many of them are evergreen.
I can’t wait for blueberry season so I can make this! This looks so delicious!
I am so making some pies this year. I finally know someone who will taste test them for me. This sounds wonderful.
Ooooh I really like what you’ve done with the filling! YUM!
healthy delicious pie
What a lovely blueberry pie! I think I need some ice cream with that
Blueberrypie is one of my all time favs! The buds on my bushes are beginning to swell and in no time the fruit will be singing summer… Thank you for this post and happy baking!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed one of your childhood favorites…I love blueberry pie too, and I don’t make it nearly as much as I should. I would be intrigued to try making the pie with honey. I imagine it adds a great flavor. Thank you for sharing another beautiful recipe. I hope that you have a wonderful Tuesday filled with love and good eating!
Hi Monet,
When I make it with honey I use a really mild honey so it does add a subtle flavor but doesn’t overwhelm the blueberries.
Thanks for your comment!
I love this pic everything a blueberry should be – pass the extra thick heavy cream.
looks delicious!
I have not try making blueberry pies. I should. Thanks for the recipe!
I try not to buy produce and fruit from foreign countries, if possible. I always check the country of origin. Anyway, your pie is gorgeous. Thanks for all of your tips about the filling. I have to make more pies, now that I got a new food processor for Christmas!
Kath,
I love pies, I’ve used the stove method and yes it does take some of the texture out of the berries. But it is less juicy, I don’t mind the juice at all, just scoop it up and put it over your ice cream.
I so want a Blueberry pie right now. Can’t wait till we get some fresh ones over here.
Have a great week!
-Gina-
Up until a couple of years ago, blueberry pie was the only fruit pie that I liked! Your version looks fantastic!
Love blueberries! I’m so intimidated to make a pie. Maybe I found the right motivation… : )
I love blueberry desserts and your pie looks so good. makes me dream of sunny summer days.
I have to try the tapioca flour, never tried it before.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. Hope you’ll have a wonderful week
It’s so nice that you opted to go with local produce, even though frozen. Blueberry pie has to be one of my favourites. Your crust looks lovely; I usually take the easy way out by making a free-form pie.
This blueberry pie brings back so many memories of big family dinners at my grandmothers. I only made blueberry pie a couple times but I should really make it more. I love juicy blueberry pie too!
A big thank you on my blog http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/4612535-no-cake-please-it-s-my-double-birthday- Have another box of blueberries awaiting the same treatment 🙂
Thanks, so much, Pauline! To me, a blueberry pie this time of year is just like having a bit of summer. 🙂