Homemade Apple Pie Filling Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should you cook apples before putting in pie? ›

Should you cook the apples before baking apple pie? You don't have to pre-cook the filling before spooning it into the pie crust, but it's a quick step I recommend. Just 5 minutes on the stove begins the softening process, and also helps the flavors start to mingle.

Cut up apples, and measure them. Then put them into a mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, mix in lemon juice, sugar and other ingredients, that are listed in your recipe. Spoon the mixture into your prepared pie pan and add chunks of butter, followed by the top crust.

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.

If you usually use flour to thicken your apple pie and it's not doing the job, try something different: cornstarch, tapioca, and arrowroot are other established fruit pie thickeners.

Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.

Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish. You'll need to use twice as much as you would with cornstarch.

Many recipes for apple pie and apple cobbler will call for tossing your sliced apples in a little bit of lemon juice before putting them into your dish. Lemon juice prevents oxidation of the apples, which means that it stops the slices from turning brown by providing a barrier between the ...

Most thickeners activate after maintaining a certain temperature long enough. If you don't leave the pie in the oven long enough your thickener doesn't get to the necessary temperature and time to thicken your filling.

How much should you use: In general, Instant ClearJel can be substituted in equal parts as tapioca, cornstarch, or arrowroot.

What makes an apple pie soggy? ›

We suspect the soggy bottom is being caused by juices from the apples in the pie, rather than the shortcrust recipe itself. Even with semolina in the bottom of the pie, to soak up the juices, there is still a risk that the juices will seep into the base.

The key word is “mix.” Instead of selecting one variety of apple, it's best to opt for a few, which will give the filling a more balanced and nuanced flavor. You'll want some sweet and some tart, and most should be firm enough to hold their shape when baked. No one wants a mushy pie!

It's best if you slice apples about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick. Any thicker, and they won't cook through by the time your crust does. Any thinner, and they'll dissolve and leave you with a soggy bottom crust.

Any type of citrus juice—lemon, lime, or orange juice—will work here; pineapple juice will do the trick too. These fruit juices contain citric acid, which slows the chemical reaction and prevents browning. (You can also sprinkle the fruit with powdered citric acid, but it may leave a strong sour flavor.)

Apple prep won't affect your baking

So, when a fruit is cut open, its enzymes come in contact with oxygen — turning it brown. Luckily, when it comes to baking, a little bit of discoloration won't hurt anyone. Fruits will start to brown immediately upon exposure.

Apples can be cooked down into sauce, apple butter, or fruit preserves. They can be baked in an oven and served with custard, and made into pies or apple crumble. In the UK roast pork is commonly served with cold apple sauce made from boiled and mashed apples. A baked apple is baked in an oven until it has become soft.

Apple slices soaked in salted water for 10 minutes, removed, and then sealed. In terms of appearance, texture, and stamina, keeping apples in salted water was the clear winner. The slices didn't brown at all after sitting in the salted water for 10 minutes, after 30 minutes of being in the Ziploc or even an hour.