Blueberry Pie: A Slice of American History & Nostalgia

Blueberry pie—arguably one of the best things to ever happen to a stick of butter and a pile of sugar. While apple pie may get all the patriotic glory, blueberries have been a staple in American kitchens for centuries. Sweet, juicy, and just messy enough to stain your fingers (and your favorite white T-shirt), blueberries have been baked into pies long before your grandma started making them from scratch.

How Blueberry Pie Became an American Classic

Long before the first flaky crust was rolled out in a colonial kitchen, Native Americans were enjoying blueberries—fresh, dried, and mixed into all sorts of dishes. When European settlers arrived, they took one look at those juicy little berries and thought, “These would be amazing in a pie!” And thus, a legend was born.

By the early 1800s, blueberry pie started popping up in cookbooks, and by the 1900s, it was practically required eating at summer picnics and family gatherings. And honestly, can you blame people? That gooey, sweet-tart filling wrapped in a golden, buttery crust? It’s a no-brainer.

The Art of Growing Blueberries: A Labor of love (and Acidity)

Growing blueberries isn’t as simple as tossing some seeds in the dirt and hoping for the best. These little blue gems have standards—they demand acidic soil, just the right amount of sunshine, and enough water to keep them happy without drowning their roots in the process. Farmers spend all year tending to their bushes, pruning, mulching, and occasionally wondering if talking to plants really does make them grow better (science is still out on that one, but it can’t hurt).

Unlike apples or peaches, blueberries don’t grow on towering trees—they come from bushes that, when well cared for, can keep producing fruit for 20 years or more. That means growing them is less of a quick gardening project and more of a long-term commitment, like a pet but with fewer vet bills. And when summer rolls around, those bushes burst into action, covered in tiny blue orbs of pure deliciousness, ready to be picked by hand or collected with high-tech harvesting machines that make the whole process look like a futuristic blueberry heist.

Either way, the result is the same: buckets and baskets of fresh blueberries, just waiting to be baked into a pie—or eaten straight off the bush when no one’s looking.

Curious how those juicy blueberries make it from fields to baskets?
Click play on the video below to watch a blueberry harvest in action.

Click on image below to play video.

Blueberry Pie & Penny & Rose: A Nostalgic Match Made in Heaven

At Penny & Rose, we know that scent is the quickest way to travel back in time—no DeLorean required. That’s why we created Blueberry Hill, a fragrance inspired by summers at Penny and Rose’s farm.

We’d trek up the hill, armed with old, dented pots and pans, ready to fill them with blueberries (and eat half of them along the way). Running back down was a dangerous game—between dodging divots and watching our berries bounce out, it was a miracle any made it home. But Rose always had enough to whip up her legendary blueberry pie, which sat proudly on the counter until, mysteriously, half of it disappeared overnight. (We’re looking at you, midnight snackers.)

If you're interested in Rose's blueberry pie recipe, the button link is provided at the end of the blog.

Now, you can relive those sweet, sticky summer memories—without the blueberry-stained fingers. Blueberry Hill captures the aroma of fresh berries and warm, buttery crust, because nothing says “home” like the scent of pie cooling on the windowsill.

Go ahead—take a deep breath. Smells like nostalgia, doesn’t it?

A match made in fragrance heaven—our Enchanted Lily diffuser, blooming into warm hues, paired with the sweet, nostalgic scent of Blueberry Hill. Beauty for the eyes, bliss for the nose!

Got a blueberry pie memory, recipe, or just a sweet thought? Share it in the comments—we're all ears (and forks)!