For every season, it’s no secret that fresh fruit makes for the most flavorful dishes to ever be tasted. And where there is fruit, there is absolutely more than enough pies to be baked in a hearty and homey effort to best enjoy them. For now, berries are upon us, bursting in bright colors and peak sweetness in the long hours of the summer, the perfect sweets of nature to feed our cravings that bring us back to warm days and simpler times beneath the sun.

Here we give you a wholesome beginner’s recipe for baking your own batch of berry medley pies. Below we’ll help you jump into baking a standard large pie that’s no less sweeter, and by the end of the day’s work, the table will be set with the most enticing and rich-colored dessert to perfectly wrap up your sweet summer day.

DIRECTIONS

Mix the flour and salt with a pastry blender. While blending, cut in the shortening until the pieces are the size of small peas. Add 1 tablespoon of water into mixture, using a fork to toss everything afterward. Push moistened portion to the side of the bowl. Repeat the rest of the remaining 5 tablespoons of water into the mixture until all is moistened. Half the dough, rolling each one into a slightly flattened ball. Using plastic, wrap the dough halves and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place one piece of dough on a surface that is lightly floured. Roll the dough from the center to the edges, forming a 12-inch diameter. Wrap the crust around the rolling pin, transferring it onto a 9-inch pie plate. Unroll and gently form the crust into the pie plate, mindful of not stretching the dough. Trim the bottom crust evenly with the rim of the pie plate, and place again into the refrigerator.

Take the sugar and cornstarch, mixing them together in a large bowl. Toss in all berries, and gently toss until they are all coated. Leave for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place a baking sheet in the oven to preheat.

Roll out the remaining pastry for the top crust. Using a fluted pastry cutter, strip into 9-inch long slices, for a total of 8 strips ( you can increase how many strips you would like to cover your pie with as preferred).

Stir the berry mixture and pour into the chilled pastry-covered pie plate. With attention to detail, weave in four strips across vertically and four strips horizontally, leaving a 1/2 overhang. Crimp the edges of the crust together  with the ends of the strips, folding the edges of the bottom crust over the top strip edges. Use foil to cover the pie’s edges in order to prevent over-browning.

Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil to then bake an additional 25 minutes, or until there is a bubbling filling and golden crust. Cool on a wire rack, and enjoy!