Saskatoon Berry Pie

Saskatoon berry pie is a traditional Saskatchewan dessert and arguably the province's signature sweet. The Saskatoon berry is native to the prairies and named after the Saskatchewan city (from the Cree word misâskwatômina). The berry tastes like a nuttier, almond-noted blueberry, and the pie is a simple double-crust treatment that lets the berry lead. It is a defining prairie dessert, found at every community gathering and farmers market across the prairie provinces.

A flaky, buttery crust enclosing a warm, deep-purple, almond-scented filling of Saskatoon berries, thick and jammy, the nuttiness setting it apart from blueberry. Eaten with cream or a slice of cheddar, it is fruity, nutty and the taste of a prairie summer.

Saskatoon berries are tarter and less juicy than blueberries when raw, so they need more sugar and a longer cook with cornstarch to thicken into a proper pie filling. They are tossed with sugar, cornstarch and a squeeze of lemon, piled into a bottom crust, topped with a second crust, slashed, and baked until the filling bubbles thickly. The almond note comes naturally from the berry's seeds. A slice of sharp cheddar on top is a prairie tradition.