Blueberry Picking and Pie

Blueberry season is here. This weekend I had a chance to pick blueberries at Jones Family Farms in Shelton, CT. I didn’t want to go overboard with picking, so I wound up getting 2 quarts of blueberries – just the right amount for a homemade blueberry pie, and snacking.

How to pick blueberries

It’s all in the name – Look for plump blueberries that are a light gray-blue color. Berries that aren’t ripe are white and green colored. If you spot a berry that has a slight red to it, that means the berry isn’t fully ripened.

The easiest and fastest way to pick them is hold your container under a bunch of berries and using your other hand, try to cup a bunch with your fingers – they should fall right off.

Recipe: Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

• 1 quart of fresh blueberries, about 4 cups
• 2 rounds of pie dough, rolled out
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, strained
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

1. Place 1 round of dough over a 9-inch pie pan. Remove excess dough hanging off the edge of the pan.
2. In a bowl, combine blueberries with lemon juice.
3. In another bowl, mix the cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon zest, sugar, and salt. Pour the mixture into the bowl of blueberry and toss.
4. Pour the blueberry mixture on top of the bottom crust of the pie pan. Dot the top with butter pieces.
5. Top with the other round of dough. Remove the excess dough off the edges, and crimp the bottom and top dough together. With a sharp knife, score the center of the pie with about 4-8 slashes. This allows stream to escape while the pie cooks.
6. Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F. 
7. Bake the pie for 1 hour. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool completely to set, 1 to 2 hours. 

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