Super Simple (Almost) Homemade Blueberry Pie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thickener for blueberry pie? ›

We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies. Arrowroot, unlike cornstarch, is not broken down by the acid in the fruit you are using so it is a good choice for fruit with a higher content of acidity such as strawberries or blackberries.

Assemble Your Pie

The recipe yields 2 crusts—one for the bottom and one for the top—which is what you need for this pie. You don't need to par-bake the crust because this pie bakes for so long.

Place 3 pints blueberries, sugar, water, cornstarch, and cinnamon in a saucepan; cook and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat; gently stir in butter and remaining 1 pint of blueberries so blueberries stay whole.

How do I keep a berry pie from being runny inside? Berry pies need starch to help thicken the filling because berries give off a lot of juice when they cook. For a typical nine inch pie, you need two tablespoons of flour, cornstarch, or tapioca starch.

Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish. You'll need to use twice as much as you would with cornstarch.

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

The pie dough isn't given enough time to relax and chill

The pie crust could have a firm or tough texture if you bake your pie before resting your dough. Giving your dough time to rest will allow all the ingredients to chill, help the moisture distribute more evenly throughout the dough, and make it easier to roll out.

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

If you don't blind bake the crust, the liquid from the filling will prevent the pastry from becoming flaky and crisp. You'll be left with a pie that has a soggy bottom. (It tastes just as bad as it sounds).

Vintage Funeral Pie Recipe is an old-fashioned dessert that is made from raisins, spices, and walnuts. It was traditionally made by the Amish, but this sugary pie fits right into a Southern cook's recipe box.

Why put butter in pie filling? ›

A: Dotting the top of a fruit pie filling with butter is an old habit but one that is called for in only about half of the pie recipes out there. Some maintain that the butter is for taste; others claim that it helps the filling set up, particularly when using flour as a thickener.

While commercial pie thickeners aid the naturally occurring pectin in your fruit filling, pectin from the added lemon, lime, or orange solidifies your pie's interior. Don't worry about the citrus fruit overpowering the flavor of your pie.

A fruit pie is ready to be pulled from the oven when its juices are bubbling in the center of the pie, not just the sides!

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, pies containing perishable ingredients such as eggs or dairy must be refrigerated once cool. Fruit pies, however, are food-safe at room temperature for up to two days because they contain plenty of sugar and acid, which slow the growth of bacteria.

Fruit pies keep at room temperature for two days; you can store them, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days longer. (In warm climates, always store fruit pies in the refrigerator.)

Tapioca-it's not just for pudding! This old-school ingredient may be what your great grandmother used to thicken her pies, and it's still great for making a perfect fruit pie with a clear, stable filling. Tapioca is derived from cassava (also known as yuca or manioc), a starchy root native to South America.

The three most common starches used to thicken the fruit juices of a pie are flour, tapioca, and cornstarch. I prefer cornstarch because I find that it actually enhances the flavor of the fruit.

If you cannot find Clear Jel, another option is to can the pie filling without any thickener and then thicken it with tapioca or cornstarch before putting it into the pie shell.