Priscilla's Blackberry Pie Recipe

You have to read the pie story from my friend Priscilla to find out.

While not all of us have a ready source of fresh blackberries, this recipe sounds good enough to make it worthwhile seeking them out.

9" unbaked pie crust ( with top crust)
6 cups blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Toss blackberries with the sugar, flour, and lemon zest and let sit a few minutes.

Add the blackberry mixture to the bottom crust and put on the top crust. Make a couple of slits in the crust to release steam.

Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 45 minutes or so.

Tips from Priscilla

• Because I makes great quantities, I often freezes the pies. Here's how: Freeze the pie as is.  If I plan to use the pie within a few weeks, I usually just put it in a 2-gallon plastic freezer bag. If I plan to keep the pie frozen until winter, I cover it with aluminum foil and freeze it, then take off the foil and run the pie through my FoodSaver to minimize air damage in the freezer.  If you are making a 9-inch pie, when frozen it will just barely fit in the larger size FoodSaver bag.

• It takes a long time to bake a frozen two-crust pie chock full of blackberries, so the additional baking time may be 45-60 minutes.  If you start with a frozen pie, you probably do not need to cover the fluted edge with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning.