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Farm Kitchen:  National Pie Day Failure!  |
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JessieMae
True Blue Farmgirl
701 Posts
Jessie
Raleigh
North Carolina
USA
701 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 23 2016 : 6:05:22 PM
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I thought to celebrate National Pie Day today, I'd make a nice apple pie for my family. I followed the recipes for the Cast Iron Apple Pie and Butter Cookie Pie Crust exactly as they are written in Farmgirl Wisdom: Lovin' the Farmgirl Life. The pie was absolutely perfect in appearance, but once I cut into it...disaster! The apples shrunk into tasteless, leathery disks while releasing too much liquid, resulting in a mess so thin and soupy it has dissolved the bottom crust!
I'm so disappointed...peeling five pounds of apples took me two hours! And worst of all, no pie! Does anyone have an idea what I did wrong? I used Granny Smith apples.
Jessie Mae
Farmgirl #134 |
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Red Tractor Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
6528 Posts
Winnie
Gainesville
Fl
USA
6528 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2016 : 05:14:47 AM
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Jessie, did you add a few tablespoons of flour to your apples before placing them in the pie? That helps to thicken the juices as the apples cook. I am sorry your pie didn't turn out perfect but it still looks pretty and delicious in the photo!!
Winnie #3109
Red Tractor Girl
Farm Sister of the Year 2014-2015 |
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MaryJane
Queen Bee
16279 Posts
MaryJane
Moscow
Idaho
USA
16279 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2016 : 05:51:02 AM
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How frustrating. All that effort and then, too much liquid. In our apple pie recipes (and in that one in particular), we usually suggest using several different varieties of medium firm cooking apples and now I know why. I got online to see if anyone like Cook's Illustrated has tested the results of just Granny Smith or just Gala, etc. Thoughts and findings were all over the map. I found people who swear by using a variety of apples in a pie to people who swear by Granny Smith to people who say Granny Smith turns your pie into a puddle.
My guess is that any apple that is juicy when you eat it raw (think about the amount of sweet juice in an Asian pear) might be problematic. On the other hand, I've eaten Granny Smiths that have obviously been in storage for a while and so they were more mealy than juicy. I'm guessing you found some juicy Granny Smiths and the recipe should have had you sprinkle a couple tablespoons of flour on the sliced apples just to be on the safe side. Flour tends to deaden flavors so adding it is often discouraged but since we don't know the apples being used, our apple pie recipes for publication should include flour or corn starch. You can see from our photo that ours didn't generate liquid when baked but yours certainly did. If you lived next door, I'd bake and deliver a pie to you today. Don't be discouraged. The crust recipe is delicious.
MaryJane, Farmgirl #1 Plowin' Thru ~ giving aprons a good wrap for 45 years and counting ~
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Okie Farm Girl
True Blue Farmgirl
1674 Posts
Mary Beth
McLoud
Oklahoma
USA
1674 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2016 : 07:08:05 AM
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I don't know if this will help, but I don't dice my apples, I slice them. And like Mary Jane said, try to use two kinds of apples. Plus, I add 2 tbsp. flour + 1 tbsp. corn starch into the sugar that I toss the apples in. I stir to coat all of the apples so that it will be even. When a pie comes out of the oven, I let it sit for a good 2 hours before cutting. That helps the juices to set up. Hope that helps. :-)
Mary Beth
www.OklahomaPastryCloth.com
www.Oklahomapastrycloth.com/blog
The Sovereign Lord is my strength - Habakkuk 3:19 |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2016 : 08:10:44 AM
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Oh, Jessie! Sometimes those are the BEST pies! All warm, served on top of a heaping scoop of ice cream... My guys would've been all over that! ;) It's all about perspective, dear sister! It still looks beautiful to me, and I'd wager it still tasted delicious! Try not to be too disappointed - I bet it still had a lot of pie goodness to be enjoyed! Better luck next time! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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lovinRchickens
True Blue Farmgirl
3435 Posts
Kelly
Pipe Creek
Texas
USA
3435 Posts |
Posted - Jan 24 2016 : 4:43:38 PM
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Jessie,
I agree with what everyone has said. I feel bad your disappointed, but indeed your pie looks devine to me.
Farmgirl #5111
Farmgirl of the month October 2014
Blessings
~Kelly~ |
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MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
6719 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
6719 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2016 : 7:43:10 PM
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I am so sorry this happened to all your hard work. Keep your head up and try again. It still looks delicious even if it’s a puddle.
Krista |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Feb 04 2016 : 11:45:33 AM
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Jessie: Sorry that your pie didn't come out good, but I bet it still tasted good! Don't feel bad, last year I tried to make a carrot cake. It took hours, I'm not much of a baker. When it was done, it didn't even taste like a carrot cake. My husband said all he could taste was spices. The next morning I knew why. Of all people to open the refrigerator, my husband said to me the next morning, "What is this bowl of shredded carrots doing in the refrigerator?" I had forgot to add the carrots to the carrot cake. PS: I don't bake anymore.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Farm Kitchen: National Pie Day Failure! |
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National Pie Day Failure!
