Living in New England, I love July. The wild blueberries are hanging in ropes, usually while the strawberries are still in season. I’ve made more than my fair share of blueberry pies, mostly because the berries are abundant and FREE. Most people aren’t lucky enough to have wild blueberries growing along the side of the road. Luckily, frozen wild blueberries are available year round everywhere.
You’ll run across blueberry pie recipes that recommend not thawing the berries. Wyman’s is the largest supplier of wild blueberries in the United States, and they say otherwise. They recommend first defrosting the blueberries and draining the juice. This makes perfect sense because frozen blueberries release up to 20% more liquid then fresh berries.
Simple Steps To Create The Perfect Classic Blueberry Pie
Prepare The Crust
This recipe uses refrigerated pie crusts. Most bakers who tried refrigerated crusts didn’t have much luck the first time because they didn’t read the instructions on the box. The crusts must sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before use. This is to warm the fats in the dough. If you try unrolling the crust before it’s ready, it will crack and your pie will be a lot less flaky than if it had allowed the crust to warn up. If someone claims they tried a refrigerated crust and the crust came out like cardboard it’s probably because they didn’t read the instructions on the package.
Prepare the Filling
The frozen blueberries must be defrosted in the microwave. We’ll strain the juice and save a couple tablespoons to later add to the pie. To the blueberries we’ll add the dry ingredients and blueberry juice then stir together. Finally we’ll pour or spoon the filling into the crust.
Bake To Perfection
This where following recipes can leave you with an under or over baked pie. There is no exact time for baking the pie. Most fruit pies should be baked until you can see the filling bubbling through the top crust. This is why we cut slits in the top crust if it’s solid and not lattice. If the crust is done to your liking but the filling isn’t bubbling you can wrap strips of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust to prevent it from further browning.
What You’ll Need
Utensils & Tools
- 9-inch deep dish pie plate
- Wire cooling rack
- Wire whisk
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
- Microwave-safe bowl
- Spoon or spatula
Key Ingredients
- Refrigerated pie crusts
- Frozen wild blueberries
- Cornstarch
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Blueberry juice from the frozen berries
Classic Blueberry Pie Recipe
Utensils & Equipment
- 1 9-inch deep dish pie plate
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 1 wire whisk
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 small bowl
- 1 microwave safe bowl
- 1 spoon or spatula
Ingredients List
- 2 refrigerated pie crusts
- 5 cups frozen wild blueberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch (or flour)
- 2 Tbsp blueberry juice (from defrosted blueberries)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare Blueberries
- Place blueberries in a microwave-safe bowl and defrost on high.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the juice to go in the pie.
- Place the blueberries in a medium bowl.
Preheat Oven
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Place a sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom rack, directly under where you'll be placing the pie.
Prepare The Crust
- The crust should sit at room temperature for up to 20 minutes or as directed on the package.
- Place the bottom crust in the pie plate.
Dry Ingredients
- In small bowl whisk together the sugars, cornstarch (or flour), and cinnamon.
Mix
- Pour the dry ingredients over the blueberries and stir well. Stir in the reserved blueberry juice while blending the mixture.
- Stir gently, trying to not crush or break any of the blueberries.
Assemble The Pie
- Pour or scoop the filling into the crust.
- Add top crust and crimp the edges to create a scalloped look.
- Cut at least four slits around the top of the crust to allow the filling to vent while baking.
Bake
- Place the pie on the middle rack, directly over the sheet of aluminum foil that should be on the bottom rack.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Pie is done when crust is golden brown and filling starts to bubble.
Cool
- Place on wire cooling rack and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours.