Antioxidants, ever heard of them? I’m sure you have, but do know what they are? Chances are good antioxidants are already in your diet, but the fact is we all need more!
So what are they? Antioxidants are nutrients in our food that help repair damage done to our body by crazy free radicals. This helps prevent health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Since most of the Top 20 Antioxidant rich foods according to the USDA are fruits, we should all try to eat a good 7 to 8 servings of fruits and veggies a day.
I love blueberries, especially wild blueberries. I am surrounded by them in northern Nova Scotia, it’s wonderful. Since wild blueberries place No.2 on the list, I couldn’t thick of a better way to get my antioxidants than baking a Wild Blueberry Pie. Hey, I can have my antioxidants and eat my pie too! In fact, looking down the list it looks like I could get my antioxidants by making a barrage of different pies and tarts, Yum! So I say to you all, go bake a pie and eat your antioxidants!
Here’s a look at the Top 20 Antioxidant rich foods as determined by the USDA, countdown style.
For more information on healthy eating please have a look at Canada’s Food Guide.
Happy Baking!
Chef Ryan Skelton
20. Gala Apples
19. Plums
18. Black Beans (dried)
17. Russet Potatoes (cooked)
16. Black Plums
15. Sweet Cherries
14. Pecans
13. Granny Smith Apples
12. Red delicious Apples
11. Strawberries
10. Raspberries
9. Prunes
8. Blackberries
7. Artichokes (cooked)
6. Cranberries
5. Blueberries (cultivated)
4. Pinto Beans
3. Red Kidney Beans
2. Blueberries (wild)
1. Small Red Beans (dried)
Wild Blueberry Pie
Makes 1 Pie
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Pie Filling:
2 bags @ 600 g each (8 cups)Compliments Wild Blueberries
½ cup (125 mL) Compliments Liquid Honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
4 tbsp (60 mL) cornstarch
2 tbsp (30 mL) water
Pie Dough:
4 cups (1 ½ lbs) Compliments Cake & Pastry Flour
2 tsp (10 mL) salt
2 tbsp (30 g) sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon zest
½ tsp (3 mL) cinnamon
¼ tsp (1 mL) allspice
¾ lb (340 g) unsalted butter or shortening
1/2 cup (125 mL) ice cold water
- Combine the blueberries, honey and lemon juice in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Mix together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Once simmering, gently stir in the cornstarch “slurry” and let come back to a boil, while gently stirring. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Use once cooled or transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate until needed.
- Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and spices into a large mixing bowl, blend in the lemon zest and “cut” the butter into the flour until it is blended thoroughly.
- Slowly add the water while calmly mixing until it all holds together. Divide the dough in half, shape them into a flattened ball, wrap them up in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled.
- Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Work from the center out, occasionally turning the dough to help prevent it from sticking. Roll to approx. 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and large enough to overlap you pie tin by a good 2 inches (5 cm). Repeat with the other dough portion.
- Gently roll one of the crusts around your rolling pin, lift it up and roll it out into your pie tin. Fill the pie with the Wild Blueberry Pie filling and cover with the other crust. Pinch the edges together and cut a hole or slits for ventilation in the top crust.
- Bake in a pre-heated 425°F (220°C) oven for 50 minutes, let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Energy: 620kcal
Protein: 7g
Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 17g
Cholesterol 75 mg
Carbohydrates: 87g
Fibre: 4g
Sodium: 390 mg
Potassium:12.5 mg
