Berry Picking

We went blueberry picking this past weekend. Here are the girls in the fields doing the picking.

This is something I like to do at least once a summer. I usually only get around to doing it once, but would do it more often if I lived closer to this farm. There is nothing like the taste and freshness of hand-picked berries. Plus, the cost is so much better when you pick yourself - so you can get a lot more berries for your money.

We came home with 5 quarts of large berries. This is the bag after we snacked and made a batch of blueberry muffins.

On the Fourth of July I decided to make blueberry pies to enjoy at our picnic later that night. The girls helped also - each one making a mini pie for themself.

I added a buttery crumb topping to the pies instead of a second crust.

Here is what they looked like after baking. The color of the cooked blueberries is such a beautiful purple/red with juice oozing out all over! A cookie sheet underneath is a must.

The pie tasted delicious. It was a lot of work to make, but so worth it in the end result. The taste of the hand-picked berries is so different from the berries you buy at the grocery store. They are full of flavor - very tart yet sweet too. The homemade crust and topping was also delicious. All recipes came from Martha Stewart if you are interested - Basic Pie Crust & Fruit Pie Crumb Topping. I would recommend these recipes and would make them again.

KayteeJane