How to Make a Pie - Part 2 - Filling

          When I am making a fruit pie I almost always make the filling first, then set it aside while I make the crust.  The procedure is pretty much the same for any kind of fruit pie.  You will need a large bowl, a small bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a fork and a large mixing spoon.  (I use the largest and smallest bowls from my Pyrex Cinderella set, as described in a previous post.)  Rinse the fruit, peel and cut it up if necessary, and put it in a large bowl.  I like to use plenty of fruit, and I often check to make sure there is enough by putting the cut up fruit into the pie plate without any crust. 

Once I am satisfied that I have enough fruit I pour it back into the large bowl and wipe out the pie plate. If I am making a blueberry pie I do this check before rinsing the fruit.  And I don't do this with a pie made from canned cherries as it would be too messy.  You are going to use the cherries you have in the three cans, no more & no less.   But getting back to my blueberry pie-

Next, mix together sugar, flour or corn starch, and spices in a small bowl.

Pour this over the fruit and stir them together. 

Finally, if I am making a cherry or strawberry pie, I add flavoring.  Occasionally I will add lemon juice to a blueberry pie filling.  Sample the filling to make sure it tastes good, and then set it aside.  

Below are my filling recipes for a standard nine inch pie.  If you are using a deep pie plate you will obviously have to increase the amounts.

Blueberry-

4 - 5 cups of fresh blueberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs. corn starch or 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp mace 

Apple-     I use Macintosh when they are season, Granny Smith the rest of the year.

6 - 8 apples, or enough to fill the pie generously.  

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

 pinch of cloves

Strawberry- 

4 - 5 cups or more cut up strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs corn starch or 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla

Cherry- (It’s almost impossible to find good fresh pie cherries, so I use canned.)

3 cans tart cherries, drained

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbs cornstarch

1/2 tsp almond extract

Peach - 

6 - 8 peaches cut up

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour or 3 Tbs. cornstarch

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger