Appleberry pie | Fruit Recipes | Jamie Oliver Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken canned fruit for a pie? ›

When thickening a fruit pie filling, there are several options to consider. Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

Despite what you might have read elsewhere, frozen fruit isn't any juicier than fresh, so it doesn't take any special precautions to prepare. There's no need to drain off the juices or add extra starch—simply thaw to about 50°F (10°C), and prepare the pie filling as directed.

There are three different methods of making pie fillings: cooked juice, cooked fruit, and old-fashioned. The cooked juice method is best used for cherry, blueberry, and other berries, peach, and frozen or canned apple fillings. Only the juice is cooked, allowing the fruit to retain its shape and flavor better.

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

A: First, don't just reach for more flour—too much extra flour will make the crust tough, and won't treat the real problem, which is that your butter is too soft. I recently read in Weller's cookbook A Good Bake that it should take no more than one to two minutes to roll out a pie crust.

Let your fruit sit in sugar for a half an hour and drain the natural juices that will gather. This is especially good to do with peaches or strawberries. 4. Try sprinkling graham cracker crumbs inside your bottom crust; they soak up some of the juices released from fruit during baking.

Corn starch lends a glossy thickness and adds sheen to the filling while flour adds opacity and some mouthfeel so that it has a sort-of creaminess. With all corn starch the filling reminds me too much of store-bought pies with that gloopy clear gel-like texture and with all flour it can get too lumpy and stodgy.

Cornstarch is faster-acting than flour and forms a smooth, relatively clear filling. Just be aware that too much cornstarch can create a slimy texture. When cornstarch is combined with acidic ingredients such as rhubarb or lemon juice, it can cause the texture to break down over time.

Tip #1: Keep your frozen fruits frozen

First, most fruits are about 90% water and usually frozen at their peak ripeness. If you defrost them, thawed fruits will add excess liquid to your ingredients, making pies and desserts runny right from the start.

Frozen apples should last up to a year and can be tossed with the other pie filling ingredients to go directly into the pie without needing to be defrosted first.

Should frozen pie filling be thawed before baking? ›

Frozen fillings don't need to be thawed before baking. Line the same pan used for freezing the filling with a homemade or store-bought crust, then sprinkle with a few teaspoons of flour or cornstarch to thicken excess juice that results from freezing the filling. Place the frozen fruit disk — no need to thaw!

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven. The layer will absorb moisture and prevent the filling from turning the crust soggy.

If your berry pie filling is a bit runny you can use cornstarch or flour to thicken it up. A general rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of cornstarch per cup of fruit.

Perfect Pie Tip #6: Choose Tart Apples

Pectin is the biological glue that holds together plant cells, giving fruits and vegetables their shape and structure. When apples are cooked, this pectin breaks down, and the apples turn mushy.

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

Sadly, they're not great as a regular part of your diet. An average individual meat pie provides around 450kcal, but the biggest problem is the 12g of saturated fat inside it – that's more than half the daily guideline. If you have buttery mashed potato or chips on the side, the fat content of your meal is even higher.

Any number of things can contribute to a slumping crust. Maybe your recipe uses an extra-high amount of shortening or butter, or you rolled the crust too vigorously, or you didn't let it rest and chill before baking. Perhaps you used the wrong size pan, or not enough filling.