Alaska's Blueberry Pie - The Reward for Your Hard Work!

Making Alaska's blueberry pie is one way to reward yourself for spending time harvesting in the field! Alaska is not only a source of wild game and fish, it also provides an abundance of other edible plants growing in the state!  Blueberries join the dozens of other edible berries in The Last Frontier as a targeted prize for thousands of Alaskans who harvest these delicacies. The picking season for blueberries is anywhere from late August to late September.  It just so happens that a large portion of the caribou and moose hunting season fall at this time as well. What this means for us and for thousands of other hunters is that when hunting is slow, you fill your buckets while hiking and glassing for your quarry! These delicious berries are not only fun to pick and eat fresh while in the field, but can also be frozen in batches to be preserved and used throughout the winter. Alaska is huge, and blueberries can be found growing in almost every area of the state.  This low-growing shrub grows on the tundra, above timberline, in low-lying bogs, and also in the densely forested taiga. If you are looking for a delicious (and easy) way to use your blueberries, here's what is going to be your favorite Alaskan blueberry pie recipe! Ingredients 1-2 pints of fresh blueberries 2 cups Ocean Spray blueberry juice 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 4 T. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. almond extract 2 T. butter 2 Pillsbury pie crusts (unbaked).   Directions Combine cornstarch and blueberry juice. Add sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook until clear and mixture thickens. Add blueberries and almond extract. Remove from heat and pour into unbaked pie crust. Dot with butter. Cover with other half of pie crust and seal the edges. Make about four 1-inch slits in top of crust. Sprinkle a little sugar on the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.   If you've got your own blueberry recipe (even your own Alaskan blueberry pie recipe) that you'd like to share with us, we'd love to hear about it!