Make-Ahead Blueberry Pie
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 23, 2012
Time
2½ hours, plus 1 hour freezing and 2 hours cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Both fresh and frozen berries will work, but frozen berries will need to cook a few minutes longer in step 2. Use our Double-Crust Pie Dough recipe (related), or use one 15-ounce box Pillsbury Just Unroll! pie crust.
Instructions
- PREPARE CRUSTS On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough into 12-inch circle (if using store-bought dough, you do not need to roll either crust). Transfer to 9-inch pie plate. Brush crust with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with half of cracker crumbs. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll second dough into 12-inch circle and brush with remaining butter, leaving 1-inch border around edge. Refrigerate, covered, on large plate for 30 minutes.
- MAKING FILLING Heat 4 cups blueberries and cranberries in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally and mashing slightly, until blueberries break down and mixture is thickened, 8 to 10 minutes (mixture should measure 1 1/4 cups). Let cool slightly, then stir in sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, salt, and remaining blueberries. Refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.
- ASSEMBLE PIE Transfer filling to dough-lined pie plate. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs over filling. Following photo 2 of the attached step by step "A Crust That's Fit for the Freezer," fold lip of bottom crust inward over filling. Brush border of dough with water, then arrange top crust, buttered-side down, over pie. Crimp edges of pie. Cut six 1-inch slits about 1 inch from crust and four 1-inch slits near center of pie. Allow pie to firm in freezer for 1 hour. Once pie is firm, wrap it tightly with plastic, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- BAKE PIE Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 80 minutes. Let cool on wire rack at least 2 hours. Serve.
Time
2½ hours, plus 1 hour freezing and 2 hours coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Minute Tapioca outshone other thickeners we tested for our Make-Ahead Blueberry Pie. During the freezing and thawing, water was squeezed out of the starch gel, causing soupy filling, and, consequently, soggy crusts. Different starches have varying freeze-thaw stability properties, and tapioca survived the process best.
Achieving a flaky crust was our biggest challenge. Dried fruit added to the filling helped absorb some of the fruit juices, which kept the filling from being soupy. Because dried blueberries were expensive and hard to find, we preferred dried cranberries, which added a faint tart complement to the blueberries in the filling. Sprinkling graham cracker crumbs on the bottom of the crust and on top of the filling also combated a soggy bottom and produced flaky and tender crusts. Plus, the crumbs melded into the filling and disappeared. Whatever you do, don’t defrost Make-Ahead Blueberry Pie before baking it—that guarantees a soggy crust.
Before You Begin
Both fresh and frozen berries will work, but frozen berries will need to cook a few minutes longer in step 2. Use our Double-Crust Pie Dough recipe (related), or use one 15-ounce box Pillsbury Just Unroll! pie crust.
Instructions
- PREPARE CRUSTS On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough into 12-inch circle (if using store-bought dough, you do not need to roll either crust). Transfer to 9-inch pie plate. Brush crust with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with half of cracker crumbs. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll second dough into 12-inch circle and brush with remaining butter, leaving 1-inch border around edge. Refrigerate, covered, on large plate for 30 minutes.
- MAKING FILLING Heat 4 cups blueberries and cranberries in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally and mashing slightly, until blueberries break down and mixture is thickened, 8 to 10 minutes (mixture should measure 1 1/4 cups). Let cool slightly, then stir in sugar, tapioca, lemon juice, salt, and remaining blueberries. Refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.
- ASSEMBLE PIE Transfer filling to dough-lined pie plate. Sprinkle remaining cracker crumbs over filling. Following photo 2 of the attached step by step "A Crust That's Fit for the Freezer," fold lip of bottom crust inward over filling. Brush border of dough with water, then arrange top crust, buttered-side down, over pie. Crimp edges of pie. Cut six 1-inch slits about 1 inch from crust and four 1-inch slits near center of pie. Allow pie to firm in freezer for 1 hour. Once pie is firm, wrap it tightly with plastic, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- BAKE PIE Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until juices are bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 80 minutes. Let cool on wire rack at least 2 hours. Serve.
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