…is as “American as apple pie.”
It starts with the apples. Search the web for “best apple for pie” and you’ll find lists of many apple varieties and very little agreement. It’s a matter of preference, whether sweeter or tarter, but there is general agreement that the apple chosen should be one that holds up to baking and doesn’t make applesauce pie.
Among some 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the U.S., heirloom apples—those passed down over generations—offer a greater diversity of tastes and textures than the few varieties commonly found in grocery stores. Locally, farmer’s markets and orchards offer hundreds of varieties of just-picked apples, many of them heirlooms—along with advice on good choices for pie. Among the larger orchards growing apples locally are Carter Mountain, Charlottesville; Chiles Family Farm, Crozet; Henley Orchard, Crozet; Critzer Farm & Nursery, Afton; Dickie Brothers Orchard, Roseland; Drumheller Orchard, Lovingston; Fruit Hill, Palmyra; Saunders Brothers, Piney River; Vintage Virginia Apples, North Garden.
A few varieties often mentioned as favorites for pies may be found in local grocery stores. These include:
- Cortland, which has topped many lists of pie favorites for its sweet-tart balance since it was developed at Cornell University in 1898. A distinctive feature is its slow-to-oxidize white flesh.
- Ginger Gold, which has made its way around the country after being found as a chance seedling following 1969’s Hurricane Camille in Nelson County, VA. Highly rated as an early season (August-September) choice.
- Granny Smith, which is an old favorite. Its tartness may be balanced by pairing it with a milder variety such as Golden Delicious.
- Jazz, which is a modern apple developed in New Zealand in the 1980’s. It has the pronounced sweet-sharp flavor we associate with heirlooms.
- Jonagold, which is a mix of Jonathan and Golden Delicious, giving it a sweet-sour taste. Not a great keeper, it is excellent in the early fall.
- Winesap, which is intensely flavored, with cidery notes. It dates to colonial times.
I have a personal favorite—Albemarle Pippin—an heirloom and favorite of Thomas Jefferson, which I buy in quantity each November and keep for months.
I learned this way of making pies from a young man whose pies won prizes away from New England grandmothers. (He was willing to share only because I lived far away.) The method is more important than the measurements, which will vary according to your taste. This recipe calls for pre-cooking the apples, which offers these advantages:
- The pie can contain much more fruit.
- No thickening agent is needed to hold the filling together.
- The cook can taste the mixture before it goes into the crust and adjust the seasonings—e.g., more sugar, spice, or lemon—as needed.
The filling can be made ahead—even frozen—and the pie quickly assembled and baked later. I use a store-bought crust. (The prize-winning pies likely had homemade crusts.)
Apple Pie
Serves: 6-8
Note: Use a dark pan or unglazed ceramic pie dish. By dusting the bottom crust with flour, and baking on the bottom rack, you should achieve a crisp, browned bottom crust—most desirable in a pie.
Ingredients
6-8 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
½ cup light brown sugar
1½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. mace
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Juice of half a lemon
2 Tbsp. butter
Pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Double pie crust
Large pinch Demerara sugar (NOTE: Demerara sugar is a type of brown sugar with a slightly larger, crunchier grain)
Steps
- Heat oven to 375º.
- Place apples and seasonings, except vanilla, in large, wide saucepan. Stir and cook just until juices are released and apples begin to soften; add vanilla and stir. Remove the apples with a slotted spoon and set aside. Cook the juices until reduced to about 1/3 cup or less of syrup; remove from heat.
- Place bottom crust into pie dish and dust with a little flour. Fill crust with apples and drizzle syrup over. Moisten the edge with water. Add top crust, trim, crimp. Poke vent holes in top and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
- Place on preheated oven’s bottom rack and bake for about 45 minutes, or until well browned.
Featured photo courtesy of Bernice Thieblot
