Blueberry (Or Any Berry) Pie Filling

This is food writer Dale Carson's (Abenaki) Berry Pie filling from her first, and important cook book Native New England Cooking.  It's found on page 113

2 tbsp. Tapioca

3 pints, blueberries (or mixed berries, list to follow)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1.  Mix all the ingredients and mix well--make sure that tapioca gets well mixed.

2.  Fill a pie crust that has been baked blind.  That is pricked with fork and baked at 425 degrees for 5 minutes (a neat trick is to pour some dried beans into the pastry to keep it from bubbling--the beans can still be used).  Add berries, top with unbaked crust, cut vents and brush with milk.  Bake at 325 for a 1 hour (my note:  check if after 30 minutes for browning).

VARIATIONS

You can use any of the following in any combination:

Cranberry

Blackberry

Raspberry

Elderberry 

Wild or Domestic Strawberry

Huckleberry (very close Blueberry relative!)

Gooseberry

Black Currant

I can personally vouch that the cranberry is really good cooked with this!!  They also go really well with blueberries and/or strawberries!

You can vary the top, lattice tops are common for blueberry pies.  Shapes and native designs are very attractive.  

This mixture is easy to home can.  And it can be easily double, tripled, etc. if you have abundance of berries.  Just place the mixture into sterilized jars of desired size, top with sterilized lids and process in hot water bath until a seal forms.  Remove, cool and store.

Happy Halloween!