Blueberry Pie with Streusel Crust

Summer blueberries? 

Pie came to mind first. It's always pie first for me.

My mother, who was a master pie baker, never baked blueberry pie because she said the insides were either too thick and gloppy or too runny. I experimented with the fruit, sweetener and thickening agent a few times before the filling consistency was right.

Here it is! Perfect for summer. Good stuff for July 4th!

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BLUEBERRY CRUMB PIE

CRUMB CRUST:

  • 3/4 cup flour

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 6 tablespoons butter

Combine the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter in chunks and work it into the dry ingredients with fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse meal. If you use a food processor, add the ingredients to the work bowl and mix using 18-24 quick, short pulses (enough for the mixture to resemble coarse meal). Set aside.

FILLING:

  • 6 cups blueberries, approximately

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 unbaked pie crust bottom

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the blueberries, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Cover the top with the crumbs. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until  golden brown.

Note: you can use 3 “1-pint” boxes of blueberries. Although a liquid pint equals 2 cups, a dry pint of blueberries from most markets has a bit more.

Makes 8 servings