Saskatoon Pie

Wow, harvest came up fast this year. As I write this the sky is smoky, and my eyes are burning. I have been busy making saskatoon pies, and I have discovered that there is a different recipe needed for making a saskatoon pie with fresh berries, than with frozen berries. Using the same recipe, the pie made of fresh berries was much drier. This recipe is for use with frozen Saskatoon berries, and makes a delicious and juicy pie. You can use premade crusts or made your pie crust from scratch.

The word Saskatoon is derived from the Cree word, mis-sask-qua-too-mina meaning many branched tree. Saskatoons have been used for hundreds of years by the native people of the prairies for medicine, food and specifically pemmican.

Saskatoons are full of beneficial antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of calcium, magnesium and fiber, but their greatest benefit is in the anthocyanins that make Saskatoons their bluish-purple color. Anthocyanins are not a vitamin or mineral, but rather a flavanol that is highly protective as an anti-inflammatory antioxidant. Saskatoons have twice as many antioxidants as blueberries, and their own unique flavour. They truly are a prairie treasure.

Saskatoon Pie

4 cups of frozen saskatoon berries

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

Stir the cornstarch into the berries to coat them. Pour the berries into the bottom pie crust. Sprinkle the berries evenly with the sugar. Wet the edge of the bottom crust, and add the top crust. Pinch around the edges to seal. Bake at 425 degree for 15 minutes, and then at 350 degree for 50 minutes.

Plain Pastry Crust for double crust

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup lard (not shortening)

1/2 teaspoon salt 3-4 tablespoons iced water

Put the lard and the flour into a bowl, cut or flake the lard using a knife, or a fork, or your fingers or a pastry blender to work the lard and the flour together. Add 3 tablespoons of the iced water into the flour mixture and gently mix until moistened. Once the water is added do not over mix or your pastry will be tough. Divide the mixture into two balls and roll each ball of pastry out to fit a 9” pie pan.