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Wild Blueberry Pierogi (Pierogi z jagodami)

Yields1 ServingPrep Time45 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time1 hr 15 mins

Check out this simple recipe for homemade Wild Blueberry Pierogi - in Polish called Pierogi z Jagodami. Jagody means berries and pierogi with berries usually means bilberries - a kind of wild blueberry that can be found in the forests of Poland. They are smaller, darker, and sweeter than the American blueberry - borówka amerykańska as it is called in Polish.

If you don't have bilberries on hand, give this recipe a go with any berries you can find. I'm sure you will find them delicious. Smacznego to you!

Plate of blueberry pierogi with a dollop of cream in the middle and blueberries on the left side

The Wild Blueberry Pierogi Filling
 3 cups wild blueberries called bilberries or any berry of your choice
 3 tbsp sugar, granulated or powdered
 1 ½ tbsp potato starch
 1 egg, optional
Pierogi Dough - 1 batch
 3 cups flour, with extra flour for dusting your work surface
 1 cup hot water
 1 tbsp butter or oil
The Dough
1

Prepare a large, clean surface for rolling out your dough and an area to place your pierogi before boiling and also after boiling. Have some clean tea towels on hand to cover your pierogi before boiling so they don't dry out.

2

You can make your dough by hand, in a bowl or on the counter top, or even whizz it up in a food processor. You choose the method that works best for you. I switched over to the food processor method just because it is faster for me.

3

Aerate the flour. Sift the flour or whisk it in a bowl or zap it in a food processor for about 20 seconds.

4

Boil water like you are making a cup of tea. Pour out a cup of hot water and add a tablespoon of butter or oil. I use a spouted sauce pitcher or a Pyrex heat safe pitcher to make it easier to pour out into the dough.

5

Slowly add the hot water to the flour and mix, with a wooden spoon if the water is too hot and then with your hands. In the food processor, you can add hot water, little by little while you mix. Add the egg if you choose to.

Keep adding hot water until soft, pliable dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour. If the dough is too dry, add a bit more water. In the food processor, it will pull away from the sides and form a ball.

6

Place your dough on a floured surface, flour your rolling pin and go! Roll out the pierogi dough to a thickness you are comfortable working with.

For fruit pierogi, I suggest rolling it out a little thicker as the fruit tends to "bleed" through the dough.

7

Cut your dough into circles and fill with a spoonful of the berry filling. Fold over and pinch. If you don't wait too long, your dough should still be soft and then no extra water is needed to seal the pierogi with just a few pinches.

Place your pierogi on a floured surface and cover with a tea towel until time to boil.

8

Tips and Tricks: Extra ingredients

When I asked Babcia about adding eggs or sour cream to the dough she said "nie kombinuj, Kryśka" meaning something like I shouldn't get any bright ideas. She never added anything else to her regular pierogi dough, not even salt, as she salted her filling and salted the water she boiled the pierogi in.

However, she said that adding an egg to the dough for fruit pierogi or soup pierogi can't hurt. It makes the dough a bit sturdier which can help your fruit pierogi hold together better.

The Berry Filling
9

Source your berries. Rinse your berries, removing any stray stems or leave. I either pick them myself in the forest or order them from local teens who want to pick fruit for money. Check out your supermarket freezer section or just use any berry of your choice.

Yellow colander full of wild blueberries with a red measuring cup in the middle

10

Making bilberry pierogi filling is easy, but it is better to make the filling in consecutive small batches because once you add sugar, they start to release juice.

I take a cup of bilberries in a bowl, add a tablespoon of sugar and about half a tablespoon of potato starch (a tip from the village librarian) and mix it gently.

11

Now all that is left is to fill and pinch the pierogi. I simmer the water gently and treat these pierogi extra carefully. Boil for about 3-5 minutes from the time that they float, shorter for thinner dough and longer for thicker dough.

Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water and place on a plate or tray to cool. Oil or butter the plate prior and be sure to put some butter on your pierogi. Be careful not to overlap them when they are hot as they will stick together.

Large batch of wild blueberry pierogi on a plate

12

Serve your pierogi topped a dollop of sour cream and sugar if you prefer (sugar mixed in the cream or just sprinkled on top).

I hope you enjoy and I wish a sincere smacznego to you!

Plate of blueberry pierogi with a dollop of cream in the middle and blueberries on the left side