From Scratch to Scrumptious

July is a great time to find blueberries in a giant pack at a very affordable price! If you’re salivating just looking at this picture, I’ll wait while you run to Costco or your nearest grocery store to pick up some blueberries.

If you’ve missed the window for fresh blueberries, but still want a pie, don’t worry! Sometimes I cheat and use frozen blueberries. It works great!

Blueberry pie is one of the easiest pies to make. No cutting the fruit. No cooking ahead of time. If you use a store-bought pie crust, you can throw this together in less than 5 minutes of hands-on work.

Pie Crust: My most delicious pies always start with the Yummiest Pie Crust. Follow the link to the recipe. Of course, you can skip this step and buy a pre-made pie crust. You’ll need enough for a top and bottom.

Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are available year-round, but are at their best in summer. I have noticed that July is the optimal time for best tasting blueberries at the lowest price in the grocery stores.

If you’re using frozen blueberries instead of fresh, defrost them and strain the “juice” that comes out.

Sugar: Taste the blueberries. Very sweet? Add the lesser amount of sugar. Kind of tart? Add the higher amount of sugar.

Cornstarch: I use cornstarch instead of flour because it results in a smooth (less grainy) and thicker pie filling. Especially pretty if you’re making a lattice top.

If you’re out of cornstarch, you can substitute flour. You’ll need to use double the amount of flour in place of cornstarch.

Lemon Juice: You can use fresh or bottled, but this is a very important ingredient. The tartness of lemon juice balances out the sweetness of the filling. You can add a lot more sugar without it being too sweet if you add a bit of tartness.

Cinnamon: An optional addition. Some people like a little bit of extra flavor and spice, while others prefer a simpler flavor with nothing to get in the way of tasting the fruit. I like it both ways!

Salt: Just a smidge

Butter

This is a very simple pie to make, especially if you use a store-bought crust! I’m very picky about my crusts, so I always start with a homemade pie crust. My favorite for this pie is my Yummiest Pie Crust recipe (check out the secret ingredient). You can also find some tips for rolling out pie crust and transferring it to a pie plate there.

If using a homemade pie crust, be sure to let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes after placing the bottom crust in the pie plate to keep it from shrinking in the oven.

If you plan on using frozen blueberries, measure them out and defrost them, either in the microwave or by sitting at room temperature for a few hours. Strain off any “juice” at the bottom of the bowl.

Combine filling ingredients. First toss blueberries in lemon juice. Then mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon if using. Add sugar mixture to blueberries and mix well. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Pour the filling into the bottom crust. Top with small pats of butter. Do I get overexcited and forget the butter sometimes? I sure do. Does it still result in a delicious pie? You bet!

Dampen the bottom crust edges. I simply dip my fingers in a small bowl of water and run them around the edges. Cover with top crust and pinch the edges to seal. Cut the edges to a uniform 1″ past the edge of the plate, turn the crust edges underneath and pinch to seal well.

Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. If you forget this step, the steam will raise up the top crust and leave a giant space between the top of the pie and the fruit filling. Not pretty.

To form a lattice top instead: see How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust the Easy Way.

At this point, you can form a Classic Finger Crimp on the edges, or make any number of pretty edges.

Position rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat to 425°F. Place a baking sheet under your pan to catch any drips. Want to know how important that is? Check out how I almost set my house on fire as a teenager.

Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake another 25-35 minutes. When thick juices bubble up through the slits of a closed crust or between the lattice strips, you know your pie is done.

I bet your home smells like summer right about now. The only thing I love better than the smell dessert in my oven is baking bread!

Remove the pie from the oven and let cool about 4 hours. This extra step allows the juices to thicken. When you cut the pie, the filling will stay in place for a beautiful slice.

This pie is best served the day it is baked. You can store it at room temperature for a day after it is baked. If you need to keep it longer than that, refrigerate it up to 4 days.

It doesn’t need to be covered for freshness, but I would cover it in the fridge to avoid picking up any other flavors that may be in there already. You don’t want your dessert to taste like leftover dinner.