There are many seasons that I look forward to…gardening season, canning season, hunting season…and of course, berry season.

Wild blueberries are abundant in my corner of the world, especially in areas where forest fires have occurred. And every year, I get all-out anxious about the prospect of filling up gallon after gallon of this delicious natural gift just waiting for me out in the woods, through swamps, and up rocky cliffs. It gives me the opportunity to make all sorts of delicious blueberry things, including today’s recipe.

A great pie or a great crisp starts with great berries. And for this particular recipe, try to use fresh and not frozen blueberries. Also, this recipe is for those who love a lot of crisp! If that’s not your thing, you can easily cut the crisp topping portion in half. Printable version of the recipe is available at the end of this post.

Favorite Blueberry Crisp

{Filling}

• 4 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot powder
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

{Crisp Topping}

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup oats (rolled or regular, your choice)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 10 Tablespoons butter (1 stick + 2 Tablespoons), melted

Directions:

Grease an 11×7 pan and pour blueberries over the bottom.

Combine the water, sugar, starch, and lemon juice in a small pot. Stirring constantly over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a thickened, nearly-clear state. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour over your blueberries and mix gently with a rubber spatula just until combined.

In a large separate bowl, combine all of the crisp topping ingredients (except the butter) using a wire whisk. Pour the melted butter over the top and incorporate with a fork until crumbly. Using your hands, sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the blueberry filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the crisp is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Enjoy with ice cream, sweet whipped cream, or alone…as in, alone in the closet where the kids can’t find you.