Foods of the World Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Food Groups > Grains, Breads and Baking
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Fresh blueberry pie
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

This site is completely supported by donations; there are no corporate sponsors. We would be honoured if you would consider a small donation, to be used exclusively for forum expenses.



Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums!

Fresh blueberry pie

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Fresh blueberry pie
    Posted: 30 July 2012 at 19:44
My lonesome little blueberry bush in the backyard has been going hog wild with the warm and damp weather lately. So I picked some this weekend and made pie. Well, I was lazy and picked up a pre-made pie shell at the store. Last time I'll do that. What a pain in the butt! The bottom was ok, but the dough for the top was impossible to work with. It was so thin I couldn't do anything without tearing it. Made the best of it I could.

6 cups more or less of fresh blueberries, washed and cleaned of leaves, stems, etc.


Mix the blueberries together with 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and pour into pie shell.


Here's my horrible attempt to get the top crust on. Did the best I could. From now on I'm making crust from scratch, no matter how much free time I have! lol.


Bake at 425 for 35-45 minutes, removing the foil from the outer edge for the last 15 minutes.


Let cool for 2 hours minimum.  I've got an hour an a half to go... the smell is divine!  Can't wait to try a slice.
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2012 at 19:53
that is NICE, mike - excellent!
 
no fresh blueberries here, but we do have a few containers of them; i'm judging enough to make one.
 
does the same basic formula work for strawberries? we've got lots of those in the freezer!
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2012 at 19:59
Hmmm. I've never tried it with strawberries, but I bet it would work just fine! pretty similar water content in them I'd imagine. 
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2012 at 20:04
i never realized making a berry pie was that easy - just some sugar, flour andcinnamon, then in the shell. easy as....pie....
 
definitely a "gotta-do," and soon.....
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2012 at 20:43
Ron, I was looking at strawberry pie recipes online and it looks like most of them call for corn starch instead of flour, about 2 or 3 tablespoons. And they all use pectin to help firm it up.

But yeah pies are pretty easy. It's the crust that is a pain usually.
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2012 at 21:48
This wouldn't be complete without a plated pic

Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 July 2012 at 22:40
bee-yoo-tee-ful! i'd be all over that; it must have been good!
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
ChrisFlanders View Drop Down
Chef's Apprentice
Chef's Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: 01 March 2012
Location: Flanders
Status: Offline
Points: 343
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ChrisFlanders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2012 at 06:28

That looks like a very easy thing to do and the bleuberries are in season here too. I'm sure gonna try this, Mike!

A few days ago I went to a "pick our own" fruitfarm but the bleuberries were still too delicate to be handled by too much people. I ate a muffin with fresh bleuberries in their café. A-ma-zing! So amazing that I asked for the recipe but all I got were a few tips; use almond powder and lemon zeste... dugh and help!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2012 at 09:29
Thanks Chris, I hope you do give it a try. It's a great dessert that's easy to make.

As for the muffins, I haven't heard of any with almond powder in them. I bet they're good! Seems like blueberries and almonds would be a good combination together.

If I still get enough blueberries from my bush this season, I'm going to try this recipe for muffins. It looks pretty good. Maybe I'll find some almond powder and substitute it for some of the flour.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/dairy-contest-finalist-recipe-the-awesome-est-blueberry-muffins/


Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2012 at 09:36
One thing you may have noticed in my pie, I didn't mix it up very well and I should have. There were parts where the flour and sugar mix had formed into hard little dough balls. You can see some at the top of the sliced pic, right under the top crust. It was still good, almost like having streusel inside the pie. I think this might be because my blueberries are so big, about 1/2 an inch in diameter for most of them, that the flour mixture doesn't mix in as well. I had quite a lot left over that didn't stick to the berries, which I just dumped on top. I should have mixed it in better. Also when mixing it I tried not to break any of the berries, because I like them whole in the pie. I'm sure if I had been more aggressive with the mixing the flour would have stuck to the berries better. But oh well, it's still yummy and it's not going to stop me from eating it! Big smile
Back to Top
Margi Cintrano View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 03 February 2012
Location: Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 6357
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2012 at 11:45
Love blueberry pie Pitrow ...
 
Thanks for posting your recipe and for all the feedback on the thread from other Food Forum Members.
 
Kind regards,
Margaux.
Volamos a Mediterraneo, un paraiso que conquista su gente u su cocina.
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2012 at 17:33
mike - we had a bunch of blueberries and 2 pre-made/pre-frozen pie crusts, so i'm trying this right now, using the second pie crust for the top and following nearly the same procedure you are. the only difference is that i didn't quite have enough blueberries, so i bought a small tub of frozen raspberries, drained them after thawing and added them. the moisture helped bind the flour and sugar so it all got mixed well, and i'm hoping it turned out well.
 
just put it in the oven, we'll see how it goes. that top crust was a challenge - should have taken it out of the foil pan before it thawed!
 
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
Daikon View Drop Down
Chef's Apprentice
Chef's Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: 20 October 2011
Location: San Francisco
Status: Offline
Points: 381
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Daikon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 August 2012 at 20:05
Originally posted by TasunkaWitko TasunkaWitko wrote:

i never realized making a berry pie was that easy - just some sugar, flour andcinnamon, then in the shell. easy as....pie....
 
definitely a "gotta-do," and soon.....
It can be that easy, but the trick to berry pies is guessing how much thickener you need to add so that the filling sets up the right amount -- the right amount varies with the fruit, its ripeness, sugar and pectin content, etc.  An easy and delicious way to cheat on that with blueberries is to make a blueberry-pear pie.  The pears provide more structure, so you almost never end up with a soupy pie this way.
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2012 at 11:06
That blueberry and pear pie recipe looks really good, and certainly would be one to try. I'm guessing that the pectin in the pears is what helps with the structure. The walnut-streusel topping sounds like a perfect way to top it off!Clap
 
My attempt finished pretty well; even though the crust went into the oven looking completey shredded, by the time it came out it looked ok. After cooling for exactly two hours (everyone was counting down the last minute or 5), the pie cut easily into 6 pieces, and the filling held pretty well.
 
I took a couple of pictures and will post.
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
Daikon View Drop Down
Chef's Apprentice
Chef's Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: 20 October 2011
Location: San Francisco
Status: Offline
Points: 381
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Daikon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 August 2012 at 11:54
Their pectin probably does help some, but layering slices of pear also produces a laminate with some structural integrity that won't ooze all over your plate.

And it is very tasty.  Unless you've got really, really good blueberries that can star on their own, I think that the depth of the combined pear and blueberry flavor actually makes a better pie.  There are lots of recipes for blueberry-pear pie, and plenty of room to experiment, so do a little searching and have fun.
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 August 2012 at 09:24
Originally posted by TasunkaWitko TasunkaWitko wrote:


just put it in the oven, we'll see how it goes. that top crust was a challenge - should have taken it out of the foil pan before it thawed!
 


That was exactly the same problem I ran up against! However I made this again when the second batch of blueberries were ready, and taking the top crust out of the tin before thawing didn't really make much of a difference. It was still hard to work with and fell apart on me.
Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 September 2012 at 12:07

Finally, here are the pictures etc. from when I gave this a try:

 
Hard to believe, but, but that top crust is actually very pieced-together, due to the troubles mentioned above:
 
 
It looked like a mess going in but, in my opinion, the final result looks kind of nice.
 
We served the pie up simply with some whipped topping:
 
 
The taste was really good. The blueberries and raspberries were a good match (how could they be anything but?) and the crust, whihc wasn't soggy or limp, had a good flavour to it.
 
Taking Mike's experience into consideration, I made sure that the filling ingredients were well-mixed. I used raw (turbinado) sugar, and probably added just a little too much sugar or (more likely) flour to the mix; the filling was quite firm, but not in a bad way. Since I enjoy the effect that cinnamon has on things like this, I used probably twice what his method called for, and enjoyed the extra zing provided.
 
All-in all: success, I think, especially for a first attempt! The only thing I would do differently is perhaps cut the sugar and the flour just a little bit, but not much, and see what the result is like. Thanks to Mike for showing me just how easy something like this can be, and how good the results are. I honestly would never have believed it without seeing it.  
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2013 at 11:14
Ah, it's that time of year again. I waited a little long and a lot of my blueberries had dropped already. I'm kind of picky and won't eat them once they've fallen off, I know call me weird. Anyway picked two quarts (8 cups) the other day. Might have to find the time to make some more pie tonight. 
Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 July 2013 at 13:08
Mike, if you use the premade crusts try laying what will be the top crust on your cutting board and cutting it in slices. Then lay them over the top to form a lattice.

It's a bit easier than wrestling with what is basically a brittle dough.

That said, far as I'm concerned your pix from last year look great. Where is it written that the crust has to be a solid sheet?
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.094 seconds.