Make it Yourself...Fruit Pies

Everyone loves fruit pies...and here is Myrna's most requested one - blueberry.  It's nothing like those pies made with canned filling!
Myrna Says:

  I make blueberry pie when the blueberries are in season. I do freeze some to have later in the year, freeze loose and unsweetened so that they can be used for anything including pie.

    Over the years I have made converts of people who said “I don’t like blueberry pie”. Most of the time, they are referring to the canned pie filling you can buy at the grocery store. Believe me, it tastes nothing like pie made from fresh berries. 

I use the pie crust from my Farm Journal Complete Pie Cookbook which is posted on the blog.

However, the filling recipe is always from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. 

You will need 2 nine inch pie crusts, and 4 cups fresh blueberries.

Blueberry Pie
4 cups blueberries

¾ to 1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon lemon peal
1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon each, cinnamon & nutmeg (optional)

Dash of salt
1 Tablespoon butter

Line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry. Combine 4 cups fresh blueberries with ¾ to 1 cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon grated lemon peel and a dash of salt.  Add ½ teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice; dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Adjust top crust or as I do, make a lattice crust. Bake in hot oven 400°F. 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.
*The lemon juice adds tang to the store bought berries.

Sue says:

I do make pies, just not as often as Myrna.  Fresh peach pie with less work…this recipe is from "Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 15th Edition.”  Making the crust is a snap, and the filling was just as simple.  I did roll my pastry out on my pastry mat and then transferred it to the parchment.  

If you need to cover the edges to prevent browning, fold your foil in quarters and cut out the center about the size of your filling hole, then unfold and place it over your tart.  The filling set up nicely.

                 

Country Peach Tart

  1         Recipe Single Crust Pastry (about 11 ounces)

     ¼      Cup Sugar

  4          Teaspoons Flour, All-purpose

     ¼       Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg -- or cinnamon

  3          Cups Peaches -- sliced, peeled (or nectarines) 1 1/4 pounds

  1         Tablespoon Lemon Juice

  1         Tablespoon Sliced Almonds

              Milk

Preheat oven to 375°.  Prepare pastry.  On a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper, roll pastry into a 13" circle.  Slide paper with pastry onto a half sheet baking pan.

For filling, in a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar, the flour, and nutmeg.  Add peaches and lemon juice; toss until coated.  Mound filling in center of pastry, leaving the outer 2" uncovered all around.

Fold uncovered pastry up over filling, pleating as necessary and using paper to lift the pastry border if needed.  Sprinkle filling that is exposed with almonds.  Lightly brush top and sides of pastry with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until filling is bubbly and crust is golden.  If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover edge of the tart with foil the last 5-10 minutes of baking.  Cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheet on a wire rack.

8 Servings

2014 Cost:  $2.99 or 38¢

Per Serving: 162 Calories; 7g Fat (36.6% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 146mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.