Diana Travisono has been making this blueberry pie for decades from a recipe from her aunt “Molly” (Amalia Femino). The snapshot shows them at Scarborough in 1954.

The Providence Journal / Sandor Bodo

Two years ago, Diana Travisono of Jamestown shared with me a family recipe for a wonderful no-bake blueberry pie. It came from her Aunt Molly, whose real name was Amalia Femino.

Travisono wrote recently that Aunt Molly died in May, and I think we should celebrate her life by once again sharing this great recipe, especially with blueberry season on the way.

What’s so interesting is not that it is a no-bake pie, which is most welcome in the warmth of summer, but rather that only one-quarter of the blueberries are cooked on the stove-top and the rest are mixed in fresh. That’s what makes the blueberries pop, just as if you tasted them fresh out of a basket. If you want to pre-bake a traditional crust, you can, that takes about 15 minutes. Or you can make a graham cracker crust and never turn on the oven at all.

There’s a little notation on Aunt Molly’s recipe card that says, “Works well with strawberries.” But Travisono has never tried it, because everyone loves the blueberries.

Here’s what to remember:

When cooking the blueberries, it’s important to let them simmer until they turn really purple. You can’t rush it.

Likewise, don’t be impatient about eating the pie. Travisono says that you have to let the pie cool and set to room temperature. If you cut it too soon, it won’t be set.

If you don’t bake a graham cracker crust, the crumbs will soak up some of the blueberries. It will taste lovely but a slice won’t necessarily look great on a plate.

The pie tastes best with local berries right from fields. It’s not too sweet, and the denseness is wonderful. The whole berries that are mixed in are softened but still retain that summery fresh flavor.

Recipe: Aunt Molly’s Unbaked Blueberry Pie1

AUNT MOLLY’S UNBAKED BLUEBERRY PIE

1 quart blueberries, divided use

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

9-inch baked pie shell or prepared graham cracker crust

Whipped cream for topping, optional

Put 1 cup of the blueberries in a saucepan. Mix water and flour together and add to the pan. Add sugar and salt. Start cooking on high until first bubbles appear, then lower to medium heat, stirring frequently until thickened and the berries are a deep color, 7-10 minutes. Some berries will pop. Remove from heat and let sit a few minutes.

Add remainder of uncooked berries to the pan using a spatula to scrape juices into mixture. Mix well and again let it sit a few minutes, then pour into pie shell. Gently level off. Allow to set and cool completely before slicing. It may take several hours for it to reach room temperature, or even overnight. Refrigerate after cutting.

Note: If using your own pie crust, bake it for 10-15 minutes until cooked and cool before filling.

Whipped cream makes a nice topping but so, too, does ice cream.

gciampa@projo.com