Elevate Your Blueberry Pie With This Simple Step

During the summer month of July, bushes of green berries begin to turn a recognizable shade of navy blue. Good things come in small packages, and blueberries are some of the smallest and most delicious berries there are. Grown all across the United States, blueberries are round, sweet fruits with beautiful azure skins and opaque flesh, which make them awesome for colorful and delicious ingredients in desserts and as snacks (via U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council).

Not only is the blueberry delicious, but it is also fantastic for you! If you regularly eat fresh blueberries throughout the summer, you are actively protecting yourself against heart disease and cancer, as well as working to strengthen your bones and mental health and steady your blood pressure (via Medical News Today). So what are some ways you can incorporate blueberries into your diet? Well, honestly, you can start by eating them right off the bush. If you or your neighbors grow any blueberries, you can easily wash those suckers off and get to snacking, but blueberries are also a great way to elevate your summer pies!

We get it! Pies are so much easier to make using a store-bought blueberry pie filling. It comes pre-pureed and in a midnight blue color that is convenient to use and oh-so-delicious. But there is a way to elevate this classic blueberry pie filling by just adding one thing: fresh blueberries. Wait! Why would we add blueberries to a blueberry filling? Isn't that redundant? Well, according to Cook's Country, by adding fresh fruit to premade filling, we are bringing more floral flavors and juiciness to the pie. By creating little pockets of fresh fruit in the filling, the pie will taste sweeter and brighter.

Fresh fruit improves canned pie filling, which, more often than not, falls flat when it comes to flavor and texture. This fruit pie trick can work on cherry pies, mixed berry pies, and strawberry pies (via The Tasty Tip). So if you're stopping by the store to pick up some fruity filling, swing by the produce section and snatch up some fresh fruit to mix in yourself!