About Blueberry Pie

Pies have always been a popular dessert in America. Apple pies with cheese are popular in the fall. Pumpkin pie is a must at Thanksgiving, and mincemeat pie is a Christmas favorite. Blueberry pie is a summer tradition, as the berries are ready to pick in July and August. Pie baking a family event. If you want to feel a sense of nostalgia, back a blueberry pie and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's a true comfort food.

History

Fruit-filled pies came to America with the early settlers. Pioneer women made pies from the berries growing nearby.

Geography

Pies can contain fruit, vegetables, meat or nuts. The traditional fruit pies include apple, peach, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry pie. Blueberry pies are synonymous with summer, because that is when the berries are ready to pick. Wild blueberries are native to eastern and north central United States. Maine produces 25 percent of the wild (low-bush) berries. High-bush blueberries, which are cultivated, grow in most parts of the United States and Canada.

Benefits

Blueberry pie may be a comfort food for the mind, but those blueberries are also beneficial to the body. Blueberries contain anthrocyanins, which are the pigments that give blueberries that wonderful deep, purple color. The pigment contains abundant levels of vitamin C and is an anti-oxidant. The calorie content of a blueberry pie is not very high. An average 1/8 slice of a 9-inch pie is 360 calories.

Features

Fresh blueberries make the best pies, but frozen blueberries work as well. The classic blueberry pie recipe consists of three pints of blueberries, one to two tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 to 3/4 cups of sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter. Toss together the blueberries, lemon juice, flour, sugar and cinnamon. Place in a 9-inch lined pie plate and dot with the butter. Add the top pie crust. Score the pie crust. Bake 20 minutes at 425 degrees and then reduce to 350. Continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes.

Considerations

Blueberry pie recipes abound in cookbooks and on the Internet. You can add meringue to the top of a blueberry pie instead of using a top crust. Sugar-free pies are possible with sugar substitutes. Blueberry custard is also a popular choice. Some people prefer to mix blueberries with cream cheese or bananas for a unique blueberry pie recipe.

Resources

• History of Pie
• Blueberry Pie Recipes