Berry season surpasses most seasons in my opinion. Since childhood I have been mildly addicted to blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries. Strawberries were my least favorite, but lately I have even fallen for them too. I must be becoming a grown-up.
Today I have a one-two-three of a simple summer berry pie.
I usually simmer my fruit filling on the stove with sugar and cornstarch until thickened, let it cool, and then assemble the pie. That of course is fine, but this way is better. The berries hold there shape and it means your pie is ready hours sooner. That is never a bad thing.
With three heaping cups of mulberries and strawberries, I experimented with a toss and fill method.
The results were completely addictive.
You should know that a giant thanks is in order for the collection of the mulberries used in this pie. It involved a friend climbing a tree and four friends combing the yard for any that had fallen. The pie did get made with those very special berries thanks to all those purple stained fingers. My complete and humble thanks!
If you are using frozen berries, this method takes an extra step due to the amount of liquid in the frozen berries. If you must use frozen, defrost and drain first, but the product is best with fresh.
Follow the directions for a perfect pie crust. You will need a full batch top and bottom crust.
Okay. Get baking!
3 heaping cups of fresh mixed berries (if using strawberries, slice them first)*
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 recipe for perfect pie crust
1. Heat oven to 450. Toss berries with sugar, cornstarch, and salt
2. Lay bottom crust in pie plate. Quickly add the filling. Top with second crust and pinch the edges together. Score the top in a few places
3. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 on the middle rack. Turn to 350 (do not open the oven) and bake 40-50 minutes
4. enjoy!
*strawberries and blueberries work well. Blackberries are so sour that you should only use a little due to the amount of sugar in the recipe, and balance them with a sweet berry like blueberry or mulberry.
FYI: I also like to line the bottom rack with a baking sheet or foil to catch any potential drips form the pie. That will save you mess and the smell of charred sugar.
