Making Fruit Pie Filling from Scratch
A pie filling should have enough body to hold its shape when sliced without being pasty or gummy. By controlling the liquid content before the pie even hits the oven, you eliminate the risk of a soggy bottom crust.
Don't rush the maceration.
Allowing the fruit to sit with sugar for at least 30 minutes is the only way to gauge how much juice you are actually dealing with.
- Large glass bowl
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Small saucepan
- Whisk
What goes in.
- 5 cupsfresh or frozen fruit, pitted and sliced
- 3/4 cupgranulated sugar
- 3 tbspcornstarch
- 1 tbsplemon juice
- 1/4 tspsalt
Cook the syrup, not the fruit
By boiling only the released fruit juices with your thickener until thickened and clear, you prevent the fruit from turning into mush before it ever enters the oven.
The method.
Macerate the fruit
Toss the fruit with sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Let it sit for 30 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the bowl is filled with liquid.
Separate the liquids
Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the fruit mixture into it. Let the juices drain completely; you should have roughly 1/2 to 3/4 cup of liquid.
Thicken the syrup
Whisk the cornstarch into the cold fruit juice. Transfer to a saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly until the mixture bubbles and turns from cloudy to translucent.
Combine
Pour the hot thickened syrup over the strained fruit and fold gently until every piece is coated.
Cool before baking
Spread the filling onto a baking sheet to cool to room temperature; this prevents the hot filling from melting the fats in your pie crust.
Other turns to take.
Stone Fruit
Add a pinch of ground ginger or cardamom to peaches or plums.
Berry Mix
Increase cornstarch by 1 teaspoon for very juicy berries like blackberries or raspberries.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If using frozen fruit, do not thaw it before adding the sugar; just let the maceration process happen as it thaws in the bowl.
Taste the fruit before adding sugar; if it is exceptionally tart, increase the sugar by two tablespoons.
Always cool your filling completely before putting it into a raw crust to ensure the bottom pastry stays crisp.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch?
You can, but you will need to double the amount, and the filling will have a slightly opaque, matte appearance rather than a clear, glossy one.
Why did my filling turn out gummy?
This usually happens when there is too much thickener for the amount of fruit juice present. Stick to the 3-tablespoon ratio for most fruits.
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