I've been baking blueberry pies for years. We've been fortunate that my father-in-law was living in Maine and had a field of wild blueberries, so he would always stop on his way from Maine to Florida for the winter and drop off blueberries for us.
Now that we live in Maine ourselves, I've already baked three blueberry pies in the six short weeks we've been here! So I thought it was high time to share my recipe.
There is nothing like a Maine wild blueberry. Smaller than the high bush variety you normally buy fresh in the grocery store, Maine wild blueberries are sweeter and more flavorful. They grow low to the ground instead of on bushes.
And fun fact! Did you know that blueberries have a "bloom" on them just like eggs do. The bloom is the powdery coating you see on their exterior. The bloom helps to retain moisture in the berry, and also protect from the sun and insects.
When you see berries with the bloom, that means that they were picked at the height of ripeness and that they are very fresh.
And they're just perfect for muffins, breads, and of course, pies. You can often find them frozen in the super market if you're not lucky enough to live in Maine. And fresh or frozen, you can use them either way in your pie.
My favorite blueberry pie recipe is one I adapted from the July 2009 issue of the Family Circle magazine. I've tried lots of recipes over the years, but this one I think is the best and consistently turns out perfectly.
After my father in law shared his family recipe with me (and I realized how close it was to the Family Circle recipe, I started to wonder just how "old" his family recipe was!).
But he did share some secrets with me that I decided to share with you as well.
Oftentimes, baking is more than an ingredient list, it's about the technique as well. One thing that I find does make a big difference when making berry pies, it making a lattice top. The open weave has plenty of space to allow the moisture from the berries to escape so your pie doesn't end up runny.
Lattice tops are really easy to do, they just look complicated, but they are wonderful to help the steam vent from your pie so your pie releases excess moisture, so I highly recommend the lattice top crust.
I also toss the blueberries in cornstarch, which helps to set the filling. And some lemon juice helps the berries retain their deep blue, almost purple, color.
Maine Wild Blueberry Pie
1 recipe Pate Brisee pie dough (this recipe is from Martha Stewart. It's super easy and makes a wonderfully light and flaky crust)Preheat oven to 400 degrees and position the oven rack in the bottom 1/3 of the oven. With a wooden spoon or spatula, gently mix the blueberries, 1/3 cup white sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, flour, cardamom, zest, and juice in a large bowl.
Roll out bottom crust and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle the flour over the crust. Pour the filling into the pie plate, then roll out the top crust and cut into 1/2" wide strips with a pastry wheel, pizza cutter or sharp knife.
Weave the strips into a lattice top for the pie, trimming and crimping the edges. Brush the crust with water, then sprinkle with the reserved teaspoon of sugar.
Cover the edges of the crust with foil and bake the pie for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees, remove the foil and continue to bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown, recovering with the foil if the crust browns to quickly.
Let the pie cool completely to set, then serve with ice cream if desired.
