Pies the Season

The best part of the summer seasons is the sweet juicy fresh fruit available.

My maternal grandmother was a huge influence on my life, along with my mother, especially when it comes to cooking. From a very young age I remember her always being in the kitchen. It didn’t matter what she was doing I always though it was phenomenal. She was just that, a phenomenal black women from Durant, MS who migrated north with her husband and made a phenomenal life for her and her family without a high school diploma.

“No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” - Julia Child

As I look back and think of my history I hope to chronicle the history, pride and joy that has shaped me and made me the Chef and lover of food that I am today.

Today I’m sharing my favorite seasonal summer pie my grandmother made for me, blueberry.

This pie was made using the cooked fruit method. Basically, there are three different types of methods used for making fruit pies, the cooked juice method, the cooked fruit method and the old fashioned method. A brief difference between them is that the cooked juice method is where you cook the fruit juice making a gel separate from the fruit and then adding it back to the fruit. The cooked fruit is like that name implies the fruit and juices/water and sugar and starch cooked together until thickened and finally the old fashioned method is where you mix your starch and spices together and sprinkle over the top of your fruit mixture.

I hope you enjoy this pie and many other variations of it. This is also the same method I use when making my peach cobbler.

Blueberry Pie Filling - yield: 1 deep dish pie

Blueberries, frozen, unsweetened 3 lbs

Drained juice plus water 12 oz

Sugar 6 oz

water 6 oz

Cornstarch 3.5 oz

Sugar 14 oz

Salt 3.5 tsp or 0.25 oz

Cinnamon 1 3/4 tsp or 0.12 oz

Lemon Juice & zest 1 whole

Allow blueberries to thaw in bag and then drain off the juice and add enough water to the juice to measure 12 oz and add the 1st amount of sugar. Next mix the second amount of water with the cornstarch to form a slurry and set aside. Bring the juice water mixture to a boil. Stir in the slurry mixture and return it to a boil to thicken. Add all the remaining ingredients including half the reserved blueberries and stir over heat until sugar is dissolved a mixture doesn’t have a grainy texture or taste. Allow mixture to cool then add remaining blueberries and pour into prepared pie plate.

Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a pie shield and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 min or until top crust is golden brown.