I love that every season has its own special pie just for that season. Late August is definitely blackberry pie season in Washington state. Picking your own berries makes the pie baking experience so much more fun. I think the most I ever baked in one summer was about five or six pies when I was a teenager. Life has gotten a bit busier since then. Now I'm happy if I can squeeze in at least one blackberry pie each summer.
Pick the best berries possible: black, juicy, plump, tender, and not too squishy. Bigger is better when it comes to blackberries. If possible, do your picking in rural areas to avoid contamination from pesticides and traffic pollution. I love now that I moved down to Chehalis, there are millions of berries all around me to choose from. Be prepared to get all scraped up while picking blackberries. Half the fun is trying to figure out afterwards which stains on your arms and legs are from the berry juices or which ones are actually blood. (Most likely, they're going to be berry stains, but it is fun to freak other people by pretending that you're bleeding all over the place.)
Take the time to wash the berries carefully, so that you have removed all traces of insects, thorns, and splinters. Toss out the berries that are not so perfect.
For the filling, use:
5 to 6 cups berries
3/4 to 1 cup sugar (taste for sweetness versus tartness)
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
*Optional - freshly squeezed lemon juice can be added if you need more tartness or accidentally oversweeten the mixture with too much sugar (I've never felt the need to add lemon juice).
Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl. Mix it lightly, being careful not to smash all the berries. Set aside while making the pie dough for two crusts. Clicking here will open the Pie Crust recipe in a new window.
Fill the bottom pie crust with the filling mixture. Dot about a tablespoon of butter over the filling. Cover with the top crust. Crimp the edges. Make vent slits in the top crust. Cover edges with foil to prevent from burning. Bake at 375 deg F until crust is browned and filling is bubbling up through vent holes in the crust. Start checking for doneness once it's been baking about 40-45 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes, remove the foil from the crust edges if desired for more brownness.
