Berry Pierogi {Pierogi z Jagodami}

Anna

7 years ago

70 / 100

Berry Pierogi {Pierogi z jagodami}

Any time of the year is a good time to cook pierogi in a Polish home. Winter time, it’s a lot of “heavier” versions, like sauerkraut and mushrooms or meat pierogi, but now in the summer, berry pierogi are often made to utilize the literally fruitful summer.

Jagody = blueberries [pron. ya-goh-dyh] grow wild in the Polish forests… all over the place! With a little patience and a good back you can get a quart of these fresh, juicy, sweet and sour balls of goodness in no time. We would often go with our grandma when we were kids. We’d take the train to a “secret” spot and try to gather more in the jar than into our mouths. That was VERY hard, sometimes even impossible. Clear evidence of the bounty was visible on and around our mouths, fingers and the empty jars. I don’t remember being overly excited about going, but I remember being overly excited when I was eating them. Grandma was patient and didn’t care too much if we brought any back. She was a machine, and picked enough for her and the both of us. I’m so glad this stuck in my memory for some reason. Somehow, food related memories stick better. Go figure.

These days, in the era of convenience, you don’t have to go and pick blueberries in the woods. You can buy them at the market, or… the side of the road. Often you will see people sitting on the side of a county road, with jars of the blue treasure in front of them, clueless to the danger they’re putting themselves into for some extra cash. But maybe it’s not EXTRA cash for them… maybe it’s just the only cash.

Berry pierogi are served for dinner in Poland, not a dessert. Either way, they are delicious. Sweet and a bit savory, perfect with a dollop of sour cream on top and a sprinkle of sugar. They are also a perfect midnight snack, snatched from the fridge and eaten cold… not that I do that. 😉

Berry Pierogi {Pierogi z Jagodami}

Yields: 55-60 dumplings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

2 lbs / 1 kg of fresh (or frozen) blueberries or strawberries
DOUGH:
3 c / 375 g of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of salt
1 egg
1 ¼ c / 300 ml of warm water
ADDITIONALLY:
Sour cream
Sugar

Instructions

To make the dough, place egg and salt in a bowl first, whisk lightly. Add flour and water. Mix until ingredients combine and form a dough ball. Knead only until well combined (about 2-3 minutes). Take out a portion of it (about a third) onto a floured surface and roll out to about ⅛ inch / 2 millimeters thickness.
Cut out about 3 inch / 6-7 centimeter circles with the brim of a glass. Place 5-8 blueberries or 2-3 halves of strawberry on each circle and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Fold in half and seal the edges. Wet the edges lightly to help with the seal. Use a fork to go around the outside of the edge, if you'd like ot make a decorative edge.
Lay out on a floured surface until ready to boil.
Do the same with the rest of the dough.
Simmer on low in a large pot of water with a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of salt until they all float to the top. Don't place too many in the pot at a time.
Remove from pot and spread on a large surface to cool (not touching), or serve right away topped with sour cream and a sprinkle of sugar.