in season: blueberry pie

I was wondering at first if it was worth using all of the huge, juicy, sweet blueberries in a pie when they are so perfect as they are, but then I realized that in every pint there are the smaller, less exciting blueberries. Considering that I can go through literally 4 or 5 pints of blueberries in just a few days, I figured that I could spend a little time separating out the perfect giant blueberries to eat straight from the smaller slightly more tart blueberries that are perfect for a pie. Perhaps it sounds strange that I would devote so much energy to blueberries, but they are without question one of my favorite foods on earth. The good news is that like most other fruit pies, blueberry pie is as easy as...well, pie. Recipe after the jump:

EASY BLUEBERRY PIE

Ingredients
1 recipe pie crust of your choice, enough for a two-crust, 9-inch deep dish pie
5 cups blueberries
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
4 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca or cornstarch
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425º. Combine blueberries, sugar, tapioca or cornstarch, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt in a large mixing bowl and let sit for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the pie crusts, and line a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with the bottom crust. Fill the crust with the blueberry mixture, then dot the top of the fruit with the butter cubes. Place the top crust, crimp edges, and cut vents.

Bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving. I recommend putting a sheet of foil or a baking sheet on the lower rack to catch bubbling juices. Perhaps I overfill my pies, but I always get overflow.