Rhubarb berry pie! A perfect blend of tart rhubarb and the sweet blackberries.
The first time we made this pie we used blueberries instead of blackberries and a whole cup of sugar instead a half. The blueberries were frozen and not completely thawed or drained.
The pie ended up being runny (pie soup anyone?), the blueberries dominated the flavor (they were all you could taste), and the pie was way too sweet. Well, my mother liked it, but she likes things super sweet.
My father and I love the tartness of rhubarb and want to taste it. So naturally, as soon as that pie was half eaten, we made plans to make another one.
This time we used blackberries, frozen from last season, along with fresh rhubarb and strawberries.
We cut the sugar to 1/2 a cup (a little tart, could have used another tablespoon or two) and remembered to defrost and drain the marionberries. Perfect! (Don’t you love fruit pie season?)
Rhubarb Berry Pie Recipe
- Yield: Makes 8 servings
The green leaves of rhubarb are poisonous, so when prepping rhubarb, make sure to discard any remnants of leaves.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sliced rhubarb
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup will yield a pie slightly on the tart side)
- 3 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups blackberries, boysenberries, or mixed berries (if you use frozen berries, first defrost them and then drain them of excess moisture)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Dash of ground mace or nutmeg
- 1 pie dough recipe for top and bottom crust
Method
1 Roll out one pie dough and line the bottom of a pie pan: Roll out one ball of pie dough on a lightly floured surface to 12-inch diameter. Line the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan with the dough. Chill in refrigerator while you prepare the fruit.
2 Prepare the rhubarb berry filling: Stir sugar and quick cooking tapioca pearls together in a large bowl. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, and other berries. Add the lemon juice, vanilla, and mace or nutmeg. Stir gently to coat berries with the sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3 Preheat oven to 375°F.
4 Roll out second ball of pie dough. If you plan to do a lattice top, as pictured, prepare the dough strips as described in How to Make a Lattice Top for a Pie Crust.
5 Scoop fruit mixture into dough-lined pie dish.
6 Prepare the top crust: If you would like a lattice top, weave strips of pie dough over the top of the fruit-filled pie dish as described in How to Make a Lattice Top for a Pie Crust. (If you would like a solid top for your pie, place the second rolled-out pie dough crust on top of the pie.) Press ends of strips into the rim of the bottom crust.
Trim the edges to 1/2-inch. Fold the edges back over themselves and crimp to seal.
If you are using a solid top crust, score the top to create air vents.
7 Bake: To protect the crust edges from burning, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or an aluminum pie protector. Bake at 375°F in the middle rack for 25 minutes. Remove the foil.
Return to oven and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden and the juices are bubbling. Cool completely before serving.
