April 28th was National Blueberry Pie Day #BlueberryPieDay. I wish I had knew about National Blueberry Pie Day when I went grocery shopping. I would have purchased #Blueberries and made a Pie for David’s dad.
Remember if your #Homeschooling your children you can think outside the box and start a cooking class with them. For a #FieldTrip visit a local Produce Stand or Grocery Store for Blueberries to make a Pie. Have the children measure the ingredients which is Science and read the recipe for there reading class. Now, school is done for the day.
On National Blueberry Pie Day, which falls on April 28th, people gather to celebrate the wonder of Nature’s only true blue Fruit baked into a Doughy, Buttery Pastry. It just so happens that, at the time of National Blueberry Pie Day, the first plump Berries in North America will be coming into Season
Ripe for the plucking, ready to be Sugar-powdered and baked. This underappreciated dessert has deep roots in American Colonial history, and we mean to tell you all about them over a steaming slice of Syrupy blue delight.
The Blueberry Pie, which usually consists of a classic Pie Dough filled with a Berry mixture as well as Sugars, Flour, and Lemon Juice, is sort of a victory dessert. Before the U.S. became an independent Country, Native Americans lived off the land and used Blueberries, which they called Star Berries, as a source of survival.
In modern times, we look to Blueberries as a cutesy addition to Ice Cream or a nutritional addition to our morning Smoothies. Back in the Colonial days, Native Americans crushed and dehydrated the small purplish spheres and used the resulting powder as a supplementary boost in their foods all year long.
Now recognized as a Superfood, Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, potassium, and vitamin C. Some historians speculate that without the Blueberry, the earliest settlers in North America may not have survived their first Winter in the new Country.
As civilization continued to expand and farmers began growing produce at a much higher rate, American settlers were no longer so hard-pressed for nutrients and could begin to use the friendly Fruits for their flavor rather than their sustainable nutrition. It was in these times, the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, that the Blueberry became the sweet dessert feature that we celebrate today.
Did you know the original Blueberry Pie was baked with Wild Maine Blueberries from (you guessed it!) Maine, where the Fruit grows liberally without much assistance from farmers. To this day, the Blueberry Pie is Maine’s national dessert.
Though Apple Pie seems to have cemented itself as the most stereotypically American dessert, we believe that Blueberry Pie is as vital to our Nation’s (dessert) history as the blue rectangle on our flag.
My question for you is Apple Pie or Blueberry Pie and why? For me I will have Apple Pie and Charlie said neither for him and David said he would like a slice or two of both Pies. I bet if you asked David’s dad he would say both as well.
How to Celebrate National Blueberry Pie Day
- If you have the means and the opportunity today visit a Blueberry Patch. There are lots of family Farms in States all across the Country which are open during harvest season for guests to arrive, buckets in hand, and collect their own Berry stock. Rather than just snagging a carton of Berries in the produce department, you’ll be supporting a local business and learning about where the Berries originate. This is also a fun #FieldTrip for Homeschoolers.
- There’s one very straightforward task that you simply must accomplish on National Blueberry Pie Day have a slice of Blueberry Pie. And why not go through the whole process of creating your own Blueberry Pie? Here’s a tip: To avoid a runny Pie, incorporate a bit of Cornstarch in with your Blueberries before baking.
- I’m sure you know someone that could use a little Spring pick-me-up. Baking two Blueberry Pies won’t take any additional time, and you’ll be able to help another person celebrate the holiday along with you. You may even make a new neighborhood friend!
Facts About Pie
- One of the number one Pie issues is keeping the Crust connected to the filling. Some bakers swear by baking the Crust on its own first before filling, while others insist on putting the Crust in raw with the Pie intact. Why not try both ways then you will know which variety works best for your family.
- Back before refrigerators, the Crust on top of a Pie was meant to help preserve the filling by covering the fruits inside with a hard covering, families could keep the Pie fresh for longer.
- he reason Pie was such a dinner staple in Colonial times is that it took far less time, effort, and money to make than Bread.
- The first Pies, baked in Britannia centuries ago, were originally filled with savories including Meat and Vegetables.
- Due to the malleable nature of Pie Dough, bakers can make beautiful designs out of their top Crusts.
Why People love National Blueberry Pie Day
- Blueberry Pie used to be an incredibly common dessert, its loss of popularity has left it in obscurity. We love National Blueberry Pie Day because it offers us a chance to bake a delicious dessert (with health benefits!) that we probably haven’t eaten in a while, if ever, and we always love trying something new.
- Eating Blueberries in Spring just makes sense because the environmental impact of consuming Fruits and Vegetables that are out of Season is massive, but we don’t have to worry about any of that on National Blueberry Pie Day. The scrumptiously sweet festivities conveniently take place at the perfect time of year for picking ripe Wild Berries, which means we could actually be helping by luxuriating in these indigo Juices.
- In the 21st Century, the desserts of the day are Cookies, Cakes, Brownies, and of course, Ice Cream. Pie, as delicious as it is, seems to have fallen by the wayside. But, this late April, we’ll have the chance to pull out the Flour, Butter, and our freshly harvested Berries and try our hand at this lovely sensory culinary art.
Recipe for Blueberry Pie
Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 8 Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie
Ingredients
Original recipe yields 8 servings
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 (14.1 ounce) package double-crust pie pastry, thawed
- 1 tablespoon butter
Directions
Gather all ingredients. Set an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl; sprinkle over blueberries.
Line a 9-inch pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust and dot with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-wide strips. Use the strips to weave a lattice top. Crimp and flute the edges.
Bake pie on the lowest oven rack until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes.
Time to Eat!
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
