Blueberries: Whatever you call them, they make great pies

In the kitchen

with Joan Horton

    The English call them “Hurtleberries” and the Scotch call them “Blaeberries”.  We call them “Blueberries” and they make great pies!
    Probably the simplest is the traditional two-crust Blueberry Pie. Made with fresh berries, there is no comparison with the canned filling.

Make the pastry for a 2-crust 9-inch pie.  Fit the bottom crust into the pie pan, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.
    Combine the blueberries with the sugar, flour and lemon juice and toss to mix well. Pour into the unbaked shell. Dot the butter, in small pieces, over the top of the filling.
    Before covering with the top crust, brush the edges of the crust with water.  Place on the top crust and cut vents in the top of the crust.   If you want a nice brown crust you can brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with a little granulated sugar.
    Bake in a preheated 450’F. oven for 10 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 350’F. and bake for about 30 minutes more.

    Mix the water with the cornstarch in a saucepan.  Stir in the sugar and finally the blueberries. Cook and stir over low heat until thick. Cool. When thoroughly cool, spoon into the crust, saving out about 1/2 cup of the mixture for the topping.
    Cover with the ice cream. The ice cream will spread easier if you let it sit at room temperature about 10 minutes before you spread it.
    Add the orange juice to the reserved half-cup of blueberry mixture.  Drizzle over the ice cream. Freeze. Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before serving time.
    This Blueberry Crumble Pie is delicious. Simple to put together but should be eaten cold.

    Fit the piecrust into a deep 9-inch pie pan.  Do not prick the bottom of the pie shell.
    Combine the 1/4-cup of flour and the 2/3-cup of sugar. Toss this mixture with the berries and the lemon juice.    Spread in the pie shell.    Mix together the 1/2-cup of flour, the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the firm butter or margarine into these dry ingredients until you have a crumbly mixture.  Sprinkle this mixture over the berries in the pie shell and press down firmly.
    Bake in a preheated 425’F. oven for 20 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350’f. and bake for 45 minutes more. Cool before serving.
    This Glazed Blueberry Pie has gotten popular the last few years. It combines cooked with uncooked berries. Great as it is or super with whipped cream.

    Bake and cool the pastry shell completely.  Fill the cooled crust with 2 cups of the berries.
    Combine the other 2 cups of berries with the sugar, salt, lemon juice, water and cornstarch in a saucepan. Mix well and then cook and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture is thickened and clear.  Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.  Cool.
    When the syrup is cold, spoon over the berries in the baked shell.  Chill until ready to serve.
    Now for some other ways to use the blueberry. Freezer jams are increasing in popularity. This Frozen Blueberry jam will taste great this winter on hot biscuits.

    Crush the blueberries using a potato masher or the bottom of a glass.  Measure 3 cups of the berries into a large bowl and stir in the lemon juice and sugar. Let stand for 20 minutes, stirring several times during this time.
    Boil the powdered pectin and the water together for 1 minute and then stir into the fruit mixture.  Stir the whole mixture for about 2 minutes more and then ladle into freezer cartons or into freezer-proof glass jars.  Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.  Cover and store in the freezer or in the refrigerator.  This will keep six months.
    Blueberries as a preserve, all by themselves, are a bit too sweet, they need the lemon juice as in the previous recipe. Even better than the jam is this Blueberry Marmalade.
Takes a bit more work than the freezer jam but is ever so tasty.

    Cut the orange and lemon rinds into thin, thin, small strips.  Remove the white membrane and discard.  Save the citrus pulp.
    Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add the prepared rinds.  Cook for 10 minutes.  Add the reserved citrus pulp and cook for 15 minutes more.
    Stir in the blueberries and the sugar, bring to a boil, turn the heat down and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
    Remove from the heat and stir in the pectin.  Stir for 5 minutes and then pour into hot sterile jars.  Cover and seal. This makes about 4 (6-ounce) jars.
    A good source, who has to watch her sugar consumption, makes her jam with liquid sucaryl. She guarantees that it will work with other fresh fruit as well as with blueberries.

    In a 2-quart pan, boil the water and pectin.  Add the berries and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the sucaryl and lemon juice and stir. Bottle as with any other jam.
Here is a very old jelly, called ABC Jelly for Apples, Blueberries, and Cranberries. This is not for the faint hearted as it is “made the old fashioned way”, until the jelly sheets on the spoon. If that confuses you, it is
 220’F. on a candy thermometer.

    Cook each fruit separately with only enough water to just barely cover. Stain each one through a jelly bag, letting them drip overnight. Do not squeeze or you will have cloudy jelly.
    Mix the juices together and measure the amount.  Add 1 and 1/2 cups of granulated sugar for every cup of juice that you have.  Boil the mixture rapidly until the jelly “sheets” from a spoon, or reaches 220’F. Allow to stand for a few minutes and then pour in to hot, sterile, dry jars.  Cover when cold.