My Blueberry Pie is ruined!

[FoodChic]

I made a blueberry pie two weeks ago and it was heaven! Perfect flavor and sweetness.
So, I made another one today and it's horrible. The bluberries are bitter and have created an odd flavor in my sauce. I'm so dissapointed.

I didn't purchase Blueberrys from my favorite store as it would have cost me nearly $35 just for the berries. So, I went to Costco where 16oz containers were $8. Boy did I ever get what I paid for!

I don't think there is any repair here...the pie is made.

[Nyleve]

Except for during proper blueberry season, I would recommend that you use frozen blueberries to make this pie next time. They've been picked at the peak of their ripeness and will be more flavourful than any imported fresh berries - guaranteed. Don't thaw the frozen berries - just toss with whatever else you put into the filling and bake. Might take 10 minutes longer than fresh berries but they will make an excellent pie.

[bw2082]

I might be in the minority but I think that frozen blueberries are disgusting. Out of all the frozen fruits, they are the worst. And I love fresh ones. I think it's the texture of the skin that gets all weird.

[jeniyo]

I agree with the blueberry season deal and i had just used frozen blue berries for a coffeecake this week.

I had extra berries from a while ago so i threw them in the freezer. i think it turned out okay, much better than if i used the bagged blueberries, which tends to clump together (defrosting from store to house) and be seriously icy by the time i dig them from the back of the fridge.

I think in the future, i plan to freeze my extra blueberries before they shrivel into raisins. But how long do you think them will survive in freezer? is this a good thing to stock up and freeze through winter?

[Nyleve]

I think that blueberries freeze exceptionally well. They're not going to be any good to eat raw, but in a baked muffin or pie I defy you to tell the difference between fresh and frozen if you didn't already know. I'm not sure what's commercially available in the US, but in Canada it's really easy to find frozen wild blueberries which are even more flavourful than the cultivated kind.

I have frozen blueberries myself when I have excess, with no problems. The main thing is to freeze them dry - don't wash them before freezing or they will clump together. Frozen dry, they stay loose in the package so you can take out just as much as you need. I've kept them for as long as a year, but usually that's just because I've forgotten I had them - otherwise I use them up before that. Pack them into a container or heavy duty ziplock bag and make sure they stay well frozen - in a small frige-top frost-free freezer they will have a shorter life span than in a proper deep freezer.

[girlwonder88]

I'd agree; frozen blueberries work beautifully in pie. You don't even need to defrost them when you are mixing it up (as per Cooks Illustrated, and it worked wonderfully). We always u-pick a ton of berries and freeze almost all of them (kids love them frozen as snacks, too, as does our bulldog).

[Sooeygun]

I have seen that green centre in domestic berries. I think they weren't fully ripe. They can be mostly purple on the outside, but still not fully ripe inside.

[gansu girl]

This is what I was going to suggest - when my daughter was little, she was a blueberry fanatic and I pureed them all the time for her. They were often green inside and those were less ripe and not as sweet or tasty.

Sorry it all turned out so badly! You need to bake yourself something else, quick, to get over the pain and disappointment . . . .

[FoodChic]

I think you're right. I need to rectify this with a baking success!

[Kelli2006]

The bagged IQF berries in the freezer section are very reliable for a pie, but be careful as they will bleed easily and maybe toss them with a 1/3 C. of flour. You just need to make sure they are loose when you buy them because if it is a solid mass they have been thawed and refrozen.

[ipsedixit]

Blueberry season is over.

That said, maybe scoop out the blueberry filling and make jam?

[FoodChic]

Nope, it's going in the garbage. It's in edible.

[bw2082]

what kind of blueberries are you buying for $35?

[FoodChic]

My recipe has 28 oz of blueberries. The 4 oz packages were $4.99.

[jpc8015]

You should realize that it is November. Not really the height of blueberry season.

[FoodChic]

Oh, I know they are out of season, but as I said in my original post, I made a pie two weeks ago that was absolutle perfection.

[leanneabe]

While it may have been the particular berries you bought at Costco, I don't think you should universally rule out Costco fruits. I've purchased blueberries there often and they're usually plump and sweet, although there are the occasional small, shriveled ones in the pack.

[FoodChic]

They looked great, plump, dark in color, but they are green on the inside with many seeds. I noticed when I was mixing the ingredients on the stove that several of them appeared to be green on the inside.

[sarah galvin]

Are you sure they are blueberries? I'm sure you are, but I haven't seen such a colour.

[FoodChic]

Oh, they are blueberries alright. I haven't seen a green interior color before either.
It was very weird. They receipt and remainer berries are going back tomorrow.

[alkapal]

i think i've seen that in blueberries. like a dark grape interior?

[FoodChic]

Yes, that's exactly what it looked like.