Berries are fragile, which is why we love them so much off the bush or in a bowl But there are a couple of things to keep in mind once you decide to cook them, like in a pie.
First. Often they are less sweet than you imagine, even when they are perfectly ripe. Don’t confuse the full berry flavor with sweetness.
Second. Blueberries tend to need some acid to brighten the flavor and even blackberries can use some for balance.
Third. I believe in adding some starch to thicken fruit pies. I don’t want berry juice to run all over the plate. I want to get it into my mouth. That is the role of starch as a thickener.
When I comes to berries I like the visual clarity I get from cornstarch or instant clear gel (another kind of modified starch). However I also love the pastry like flavor that wheat flour lends to fillings. So I do a combo.
Berry Pies: Some Filling Tips
Ingredients:
4 pints fresh berries blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or a combo
Sugar to taste
Squeeze of Lemon Juice to taste
2 tbsp AP flour
2 tbsp cornstarch OR
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with
1 1/2 tbsp instant clear gel
Instructions:
When preparing berries for a pie spread out a length of parchment paper or paper toweling and turn out the berries from each basket. Pick out and discard any moldy bits or stem ends that might still be clinging to a berry or two.
I don’t wash raspberries or blackberries. They are too fragile to hold up in the water and they are already filled with juice. I don’t want to dilute the flavor or add more liquid to the mix.
After picking through them gently move them to a bowl.
Taste one or two berries for sweetness. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time, tasting after each addition. Once the berries are sweet enough taste one again and decide if you need some acid. If so, add a small squeeze of lemon juice.
Mix the thickening starches you're using together and sprinkle them on top of the berries. Mix very gently.
Your berries are now ready to be poured into the dough lined pie pan. Bake according to recipe instructions.
Evan is an active speaker on culinary subjects as well as issues of food culture and sustainability and, just to keep a balance, she has a very public love affair with Pie. She’s been called the Jerry Garcia of cooking with the freewheeling improvisation she brings to the kitchen. You can follow her exploits on her blog at http://www.evankleiman.com/