What Are Boysenberries?
Boysenberries look like blackberries, but are actually a cross between blackberries, loganberries, and raspberries. As such they fruit much earlier in the season than blackberries, and they are more delicate in touch and taste. As a vine to cultivate, they aren’t nearly as thorny as blackberries and neither are they as invasive of a plant. I used to grow blackberries in San Francisco and it was a constant struggle to keep them from taking over the yard. (Trivia fact: the hybrid boysenberries were popularized by Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm.)
The Trick to Perfect Boysenberry Pie
This berry pie recipe is easy to put together! The tricks are to let the whole berries macerate in sugar first, and to use instant tapioca as a thickener. You can use cornstarch instead of the instant tapioca, but we found that it is harder to gauge the correct amount and tapioca has a nice consistency that works well with berries. If you would like your pie to have a solid top, place the second rolled-out pie dough crust on top of the pie. Press the ends of the strips into the rim of the bottom crust. OR If you would like your pie to have a lattice top, as pictured, weave strips of pie dough over the top of the fruit-filled pie dish. 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. Gently brush the top with beaten egg. Place a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie to protect the edges and tops from getting burnt and reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, until crust is browned and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. Cool completely before serving (or the filling will be runny).
