The Generous Tip For Making A Fuller Fruit Pie
It's the time of year when farmers markets and shopping carts are overflowing with fresh, in-season berries and fruit, and that means looking for tips on how to best make use of the bounty in a delicious pie. You already know you should be spending the time to make a homemade crust, and that missing out on helpful additions like crust dust is a big pie mistake, especially for fresh fruit pies. But pies aren't just about looking good and tasting great, they're about sharing. Cutting open a fresh pie and sliding that slice onto a loved one's plate is an act of generosity, and you want to do everything to make sure the people you're serving get that sense. That's a big part of the reason that you should be overloading your filling for a full fruit pie.
The picture of a perfect fruit pie is one loaded up with filling, but a lot of recipes don't actually deliver that result. What seems like a decent amount of fresh fruit before the pie goes in the oven ends up sinking quite a bit as the juices cook out and the middle sinks. Then you're left with a tasty, but kind of skimpy-looking pie. To avoid this you should be filling your pie above and beyond the measurements that most recipes recommend, ensuring that even the cooked pie is attractively domed with a thick layer of fresh fruit.
Fill your pies with more fruit than a recipe suggests
Pies with more fruit filling won't just look better and impress your guests; they'll also taste better. Pies are all about ratios, so while a good crust and tasty seasonal ingredients will go a long way toward making a great pie, even the best fruit can be overwhelmed by too much crust. The shell is there to accent the filling with some texture and fat, not be the star of the dish.
The best way to make sure you are getting the full pie you deserve is to go by sight instead of just cup measurements. If you follow the recipe and the uncooked filling is still below the rim of the crust, keep topping it off. You don't want the fruit to be so overfilled that the juice overflows when you cook it, but a mound of filling that peaks slightly above the top of the rim should be the perfect level that won't spill, and still be packed and inviting after it cooks down. This could be as much as a full cup or more of extra fruit for many recipes, but it's worth it. Making pie isn't the time to be frugal, and after all, nobody we know has ever complained about "too much," pie.