Friday, August 9, 2013

Blueberries and Raspberries


Last week mom, Hannah and I visited our favorite blueberry farm! I must admit that blueberries are my favorite berry and one of my most favorite foods. Each summer I look forward to the time we spend picking blueberries. The farm we visit is so lovely and there are just fields of blueberries everywhere! The blueberries are generally very large.




                           Mom and Hannah picking blueberries. Also sampling a few as they go. : )



          Here I am picking berries too. I think that the blueberries are especially delicious this year!



                                                                     A beautiful blueberry field.
 


The view across from where we were picking. The weather was simply perfect that day! The sky was so blue and pretty. It was wonderful.



 My blueberries ready to be sorted and frozen. It is truly a blessing to see the bags of blueberries in my freezer. I know this winter it will be a real delight to bake a pie from these berries, like a taste of summer!



The farm we visited also had red raspberries available for picking. We picked a couple quarts for me, and I was able to make a batch of red raspberry jam. I made mine using the inversion method as I do not own a canner yet. I was really pleased that all my jars sealed, since I have found this method a little less reliable than processing the jars in the canner.


 But at the end I made sure I saved out enough berries to bake a pie, plus some extra just to enjoy on their own.


I thought that the blueberries and raspberries made for a great combination. My sister Rachel shared this quick and easy pie crust recipe with me. Over the years I had always made the classic Crisco pie crust recipe, but this recipe is very tasty and easy to make. It does not lend itself well to rolling with a rolling pin, so I do find making a top crust a bit of a challenge, but a crumb topping is great when you are in hurry. Also,  I like to make my crust with sunflower oil so in the long run this crust is healthier than the Crisco recipe.

How have you been enjoying this delightful season of berries? Have you made any jams or pies?


8 comments:

  1. We have been blessed with raspberries and blueberries, and this year, it was a wonderful yield. I don't can them because my family does not like jam :0( but I do freeze them and eat them through out the winter :0) I have tried the inversion and you are right, it is not as reliable. Have a blessed weekend Sarah, m.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Maria! May you have a blessed weekend!

      Delete
  2. Blueberries are my favorite too. I like to make blueberry muffins and just eat them plain, by the handfuls.:-)
    Have you tried rolling out a pie crust between two pieces of wax paper? It works well for me. I wet the counter with a damp sponge just enough to hold a piece of wax paper, then put down the crust, then cover with another piece of wax paper and start to roll it out. Gently peel away the top paper, turn it over into the pie pan, add your blueberries or apple filling etc.. Do the same for the top, turn it over and lay it on top of the filling, then gently pull away the paper, trim around, seal, ta-daa, pie!
    Enjoy your weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your suggestion about the wax paper. I will give that a try. : ) I am used to the Crisco crust that rolls out fairly easy if your counter is well floured, but I do like the flavor of this new recipe (at least new to me).

      May you have a blessed weekend!

      Delete
  3. Hi Sarah! I saw you were following my blog so I came by for a little visit :) You have a delightful site and I eagerly look forward to visiting again. Fresh blueberries sound wonderful! And your pie has my mouth watering :) Have a lovely week.

    Hugs and blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Stephanie! So glad you stopped by. : )

      Delete
  4. Hi Sarah ~

    Your pies look so delicious! I would love to make a fresh fruit pie, but I'm a bit ashamed to say that I don't have a recipe for the fruit filling. Do you have one that you would share? I would love to make a fresh raspberry pie! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here is the recipe I used for the pie filling:
      2 cups blueberries,
      2 cups raspberries (you could replace the blueberries with raspberries. Also mine were rather heaping cup fulls- I like a lot of berries!)
      3/4 cup sugar,
      1/4 flour,
      1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
      Combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon. Gently stir blueberries and raspberries into the mixture to coat; pour into the crust and bake. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

      Delete