Blueberry Pie

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Oh, boy. This post is long overdue. I originally took all the pictures, made the recipe, had some guinea pigs, I mean, “volunteers” test it (Hi Helen!), make another “improved” version based on their feedback (no pictures of this one, though), had another set of guinea pigs eat it and still no blog post. Can I say I am procrastinating? Of course not! I mean, there were all these festivals/celebrations going on in the last couple of weekends (Taste of the City, Caribbean Days, Powell Street Festival and Pride Parade)! And, although there is a festival this weekend too (the Vancouver Chinatown Festival – thanks to Jenny of My Secret Eden for telling me this one), I think I will take a break. After all, I already blogged about the Chinatown Night Market this year and I don’t expect the food offerings to be that different…

So now, back to this post… In early July, a colleague sent us an email: 5 pounds of blueberries for $10. His family, it seems, operates a blueberry farm and I just seized the opportunity. (On that note, BC is a large blueberry producer). How much? How about… 10 pounds!!! Now, now, I did not eat all of it, instead, I gave 5 pounds to a friend of mine and I kept the remaining half. However, still the question: What do you do with 5 pounds of blueberries? I was nibbling them until I said to myself: Hey, how about blueberry pie? Hmmmmm… Blueberry pie!

I must begin saying that I am not really into baking, mainly because of measurements. Notice it does not have anything to do with the weather – in fact, one of the pies I baked was during one of the hottest days this summer in Vancouver. Reality is, I find it stressing to measure everything *exactly*, not to mention measurement by weight rather than by volume. Fortunately, the recipe I used allowed certain liberties when it came to measurement. That recipe happened to be from one of my favourite TV shows: Good Eats. The full recipe can be found here and, for reference purposes, I am copying-and-pasting it below:

Ingredients

• 20 ounces blueberries, approximately 4 cups
• 4 ounces sugar, approximately 1/2 cup
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 ounces tapioca flour, approximately 5 tablespoons
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 (9-inch) store-bought pie doughs
• 1 egg yolk whisked with 1 teaspoon water

OK, I did not really capture all the ingredients in the picture above, as, in some cases, it would be redudant, not to mention, I would have rather leave it in the freezer in the meantime (like the pie shells). However, one thing that might have caught your attention. In the recipe, it calls for orange juice but I have a lemon and a lime. How come? Well, it happens that I did not have any orange and I am not really an orange juice in the morning person. So, I took my chances and use another citrus instead.

And the instructions for the recipe are… (my comments are in italics):

1) Wash the berries and pat dry. Mash up half of the blueberries in a small bowl.

And mash I did! However, it was a bit difficult, as the blueberries where jumping here and there. I had to spend quite some time doing it. In the show, he layed all the berries in a baking sheet and mashed them there. Hmmmmm… I guess I was a bit lazy to use that technique and paid dearly???

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt and tapioca flour. Add the mashed blueberries, orange juice and orange zest and stir to combine. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes. Fold in the whole berries.

3) Line a 9-inch pie plate with aluminum foil. Place the blueberry mixture into the foil and place in the freezer until solid, approximately 6 to 8 hours. Once the filling is frozen, remove from the aluminum foil and wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

I must admit I made a small mistake. Rather than a single tablespoon of orange juice, I used the juice of half lemon and half lime, which yielded several tablespoons. I realized my mistake afterwards but, still, took my chances!

For baking

4) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

5) Unroll first piece of dough and place into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the dough reaches to the lip of the pie pan. Trim excess, if necessary. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork and set aside. Unroll second piece of dough and cut into 1 1/8-inch wide strips that are at least 10-inches long. Using a ruler that is 1 1/8-inches wide, lay the ruler on the dough at 1 edge and roll across dough using the edge of the ruler as you go to cut through the dough.

I used a disposable pan and did not use a ruler to make sure they were 1 1/8 inch long. Did I mention I don’t like exact measurements when it comes to cooking? So, instead, I just “eye-balled” the strips.

6) Remove the frozen pie filling from the freezer and place into the prepared dough in the pan. Lightly brush the edge of the crust with the egg yolk. Lay 4 strips of dough across the top of the filling horizontally, leaving an even amount of space in between each strip. Fold back 2 alternating strips and lay down another strip in the middle of the pie, perpendicular to the other strips. Return the strips that are laid back to their original position. Next, fold back the other 2 strips and lay down a strip to the left of the center perpendicular strip. Return the strips that are laid back to their original position and repeat on the other side of the perpendicular strip, folding back the same 2 strips as you did on the other side. Once you have a lattice, brush all the strips of dough with the egg yolk, trim excess dough and pinch strips and edge of crust in order to seal.

I know step #6 looks really long and it is mostly for visual purposes. Would I have instead just put the other pie shell on top (as a result being completely covered)? May be not…

7) Place on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes. The pie should be bubbling lightly around the edges. If the lattice is not browned enough in the center, place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.

I will have to say that the first time I made it, I had to bake it for almost 2 hours. I think it was due to the wackiness of the oven temperatures. (Other than the built controls, no, I do not have a thermostat inside, though I know I should). Because the top wasn’t really brown, I put it under the broiler as per the instructions but I left it a couple of seconds too long… ^_^;;;

8 ) Place the pie on a rack and allow to cool to room temperature before serving, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Ah, this is the most “annoying” step. I mean, you have it done, you can see it, smell it but you can’t touch it! So, after too hours…

And here is a “slice” of the blueberry pie. Not too bad if I can say so myself, specially considering it was my first attempt! Now, a couple of comments given to me:

• It was not too sweet. Actually this was the most often mentioned comment. I will have to say I liked it as is, because it allows the fruit to shine, rather than killing it with sugar. My thoughts, of course…
• The consistency – as somebody told me, it was “gelatinous in the middle”. This is one of the things I “modified” in version 2 of the recipe. Instead of smashing half of the blueberries, I only smashed a third an left the rest intact. As a result of it, there were more individual blueberries rather than a paste.
• The “crust”. OK, it was store bought. Moving on… ^_^;;;

The main question is: is it worth it? Now, why you even ask that question! However, I do understand why that is asked. If you add up the total cost of ingredients, it could easily cost over CDN$8, whereas in a store, you can get one for as low as $6. While that is true, the cost of making this pie can be lowered if you can make the dough yourself (I don’t have a mixer so that is not really an option for me). But, putting that aside, it is the fact that you can adjust the filling itself. Want it more “mushy”? Sure, mash more! And, finally, those who have a family, it is about doing something at home rather than relying in the supermarket for prepared food. Heck, even if you are living on your own, make one and share it with others! In the end, is enjoying summer and what the land gives you.

Tagged under: Home Cooking • Vancouver