Thickening pie filling

[CoolCat]

What do you use to thicken your pie filling so it doesn't get too runny?

I prefer flour, in general, but I mostly bake apple pies. I know some people use corn starch, but I find that can get kind of slimy.

My mom baked a rhubarb pie this weekend using a King Arthur Flour produce called Instant Clearjel, which seemed to work well. It had a bit of the corn start slippery texture, but not as much as the last bakery bought strawberry rhubarb pie I ate.

What's your preference and why?

 

[Trellum]

Gelatin, it doesn't work with all pies though, but when I am going to make a cheese or strawberry pie I use gelatin. The flavorless one, of course! I just hydrate it by using the bain marie technique. Wait until it cools a bit and use it.

 

[CoolCat]

Gelatin, it doesn't work with all pies though, but when I am going to make a cheese or strawberry pie I use gelatin. The flavorless one, of course! I just hydrate it by using the bain marie technique. Wait until it cools a bit and use it.

That's an idea I haven't heard before.

I can't cook with gelatin. The smell grosses me out and then it's all I can think about when I'm eating the finished product. I can eat things other people have made that contain gelatin without any problem, but using it myself isn't an option for me.

 

[Tina Nord]

I have never used cornstarch for thickening pies. I like to use the old fashioned method of using flour. I will sprinkle some flour on the bottom pie crust and then mix some flour into the actual filling of the pie. They turn out perfect almost always!

 

[Diane Lane]

I usually use whatever the recipe recommends, since I haven't made many without a recipe, but I have used flour, cornstarch, and gelatin, all in difference circumstances, of course. I haven't noticed a slippery texture, or if I have, it didn't bother me enough to make a mental note, I guess. I've never heard of sprinkling flour on the bottom pie crust @Tina Nord, although I have added it into the filling. I will have to try that tip, thanks.

 

[Trellum]

That's an idea I haven't heard before.

I can't cook with gelatin. The smell grosses me out and then it's all I can think about when I'm eating the finished product. I can eat things other people have made that contain gelatin without any problem, but using it myself isn't an option for me.

It doesn't really smell that much to me, because I use just small packets for this. If you use this little gelatin I'm sure you won't even notice the smell =D

 

[Tina Nord]

I usually use whatever the recipe recommends, since I haven't made many without a recipe, but I have used flour, cornstarch, and gelatin, all in difference circumstances, of course. I haven't noticed a slippery texture, or if I have, it didn't bother me enough to make a mental note, I guess. I've never heard of sprinkling flour on the bottom pie crust @Tina Nord, although I have added it into the filling. I will have to try that tip, thanks.

It makes the pie taste good because the juice soaks into it. It kind of makes like a thin layer of flavored dumpling at the bottom, very hard to describe exactly but it tastes wonderful.

 

[CoolCat]

It doesn't really smell that much to me, because I use just small packets for this. If you use this little gelatin I'm sure you won't even notice the smell =D

It doesn't take much for the smell to bother me, but I also haven't use gelatin in years because of this. It's possible it was the brand I was using or some weird reaction with a mineral in my tap water or something. Or maybe my nose is just super sensitive to it. I'm still not sure I would like the texture, but it seems like it would work in something like cherry or blueberry.

 

[Trellum]

It doesn't take much for the smell to bother me, but I also haven't use gelatin in years because of this. It's possible it was the brand I was using or some weird reaction with a mineral in my tap water or something. Or maybe my nose is just super sensitive to it. I'm still not sure I would like the texture, but it seems like it would work in something like cherry or blueberry.

I like more the texture it gives to things like no bake cheese pies, it's delicious You can barely notice it's there, but you can taste it a bit. For strawberry pies, well, it is more dominating and I don't exactly love it a lot. But my niece doesn't mind it, so it's ok. I completely understand, you must have had a very bad experience with gelatin.

 

[Tina Nord]

My mom has used gelatin in some of the pies she has made over the years and they tasted good. I believe she uses a little gelatin in the cream pie base but I will have to ask her just to be sure.

 

[joycemcgregor]

I have used flour, cornstarch and tapioca to thicken pies. I use the tapioca in fruit pies more often than the other two. If you use tapioca, you have to be careful not to use to much. I really like using cornstartch to thicken things, but you have to be careful not to use to much and to mix it in well so it is not gloopy,, same with flour.

 

[CoolCat]

I have used flour, cornstarch and tapioca to thicken pies. I use the tapioca in fruit pies more often than the other two. If you use tapioca, you have to be careful not to use to much. I really like using cornstartch to thicken things, but you have to be careful not to use to much and to mix it in well so it is not gloopy,, same with flour.

I'd forgotten about tapioca! I don't think I've ever used it myself, but I know I had some in my pantry at one point years ago. (Don't worry, it got thrown out several moves ago.) That may be what I try the next time I do something other than apple. (I really like flour for apple pies.)

 

[Diane Lane]

I'd also forgotten about using tapioca as a thickener. I have some multicolored tiny pearls that might suffice for this purpose.

 

[Nemewen]

I'd also forgotten about using tapioca as a thickener. I have some multicolored tiny pearls that might suffice for this purpose.

Do you grind up the tapioca or use it as pearls?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Do you grind up the tapioca or use it as pearls?

When you use tapioca, use the tapioca starch (also labeled tapioca flour by some brands like Bob’s Red Mill).

It is a ratio of sugar and tapioca starch to the weight fruit.

Fruit filling with high water content such as blueberries, blackberries, cherries can be extremely difficult to thicken. But this formula created by pastry chef Stella Parks works like a charm. Stella Parks uses a ratio of 25% sugar and 5% tapioca starch to the weight of the fruit. I found you can go as high as 30% with the sugar. But do not exceed that amount without adjusting the tapioca starch.

• Sugar 25% - 30% weight of fruit
• Tapioca starch 5% weight of fruit

For example, if your fruit weighs 850 g
Sugar

850 x .25 = 212
Use 212 g sugar


Tapioca starch

850 x .05 = 42.5
Use 42.5 g tapioca starch


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High water content fruit blueberries, blackberries, cherries

• Weight of fruit
• 25% – 30% sugar
• 5% - 6% tapioca starch

High pectin fruit like apples, peaches

• Weight of fruit
• 12% - 15% sugar
• 2% - 2.5% tapioca starch