OT pie disaster

[NightMist]

One of the things the family looks forward to in the summer is my
grandma's peach pie. OK, I switched the sweet Kentucky bourbon in the
recipe to Irish Mist, so I reckon maybe it is my peach pie now.

Anyhow, gramma used flour to thicken, and I prefer tapioca for very
juicy fruits like peaches. I was out of tapioca and have just never
had good results useing flour, so I used corn starch.

Dang pie did not thicken. Not one little bit.

I was generous with the corn starch and that blasted pie was in the
oven for better than an hour, so I have not the first clue as to what
happened. I use corn starch to thicken other pies and almost never
have a problem with it. When I do it is usually explainable, too much
dead ripe fruit or somesuch. These peaches were dollar a pound
underripe manager's specials, so they should have been perfect for a
pie. They certainly seemed it when I peeled and sliced them.

Anybody have a suggestion?

NightMist
California peaches the sign said
--
"To repeat what others have said, requires education; to challenge
it, requires brains." -Mary Pettibone Poole

[nzlstar]

seems obvious to me, nightmist.
you forgot to invite all of us over to share that scrummy pie with ya.
how rude!!!!!!!! :)
next time i guess, eh.
hugz,
jeanne
--
san-fran at ihug dot co dot nz
nzlstar on yahoo msg'r
http://community.webshots.com/user/nzlstar

"NightMist" wrote...

[marbles_2]

I use corn starch (actually a different grade of corn starch than the
regular Argo in the store stuff because I bought 25 pounds of it one
time to do canned apple pie filling..... and needless to say I must use
it for everything....) for fruit pies and usually they come out fine.
(My basic standard recipe is about 4 cups fruit, one cup sugar and one
fourth cup corn starch with little dots of butter)

I think one thing about corn starch is that it thickens when it's
cool, so the next day your pie will be thicker .... but who wants to
wait until the next day?? Spoon it up into my dish and I'll take it off
your hands!!!

Annie

[Polly Esther]

If you enjoy reading cooking books, look in Alton Brown's or Julia Child's,
maybe Fannie Farmer. They'll perhaps make you an expert on the trickyoctomy
of corn starch. Meanwhile, the pie will be just lovely on vanilla ice
cream. I'll bring mine right over. Polly

"marbles_2" <Pizza...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:1121578828.3...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

[Mika]

> California peaches the sign said

Right there is the problem Nightmist. Everyone knows that Georgia peaches
are the only TRUE peaches. Everything else is just a peach wannabe. ;-)

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

[Donna in Idaho]

Have to tell you a story about pies! Several years ago we went to a farm
sale. The women in the area always serve lunch at farm sales, including
home baked pies. If there are pies left over, they're auctioned off, too.
We bought a couple cherry pies.

When we bit into our first piece of cherry pie, it was like biting into a
mouth full of marbles!

Evidently the pie maker had heard that you can use tapioca for thickening.
Also, evidently, she didn't really listen to the rest of the story. She had
used "uncooked" pearl tapioca. Both pies went in the trash. I'm surprised
one of us didn't end up with a broken tooth from those cherry pies!
--
Donna Aten, Coordinator
Project Linus - Boise/SW Idaho Chapter
Website: www.LinusIdaho.org

"NightMist" <night...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:42d9e183...@news.madbbs.com...

[Bobbie Sews Moore]

Now Mike, Our SC peaches ain't shabby!!!!
Barbara in SC
"Mika" <tajma...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:s5wCe.11872$4Q1....@fe09.lga...

[Mika]

Well I if my Granddaddy was still alive and still had the peach orchard I
would have said unequivocally that ARKANSAS peaches are the BEST. But since
he isn't still living and the peach orchard is long gone, Georgia got
billing on that one cause I've never had a SC peach. At least not that I
know of. So that gives you an excuse to send me some. hint hint. :-)

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"Bobbie Sews Moore" <bar...@peoplepc.com> wrote in message
news:09DCe.12945$aY6....@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...

[Taria]

Well, most home grown peaches from most states where they grow would
probably be 'best'. Fresh fruit off the tree is wonderful.
I have to say there is a peach tree in the desert yard that
has the yuckiest tasting peaches ever. I don't even have to chase the
birds away from them. The next tree over is my beloved apricot tree
that is the best and a big producer.
I've had a pie disaster or two before. If you want to eat the thing
before it has cooled make a cobbler instead. They are wonderful warm.
Taria

[Mika]

oooohhhh now I'm jealous. You have apricots. I remember growing up we had an
apricot tree that had the biggest, juiciest apricots. My brother and I would
fight over who got to climb the tree first. Of course, him being older and
bigger he got to go first so he always go the best ones. They were so good.
My great-granddaddy had a huge peach orchard that was passed on to my
granddaddy. They grew the best peaches in the state but that was many many
years ago. The trees are all gone now and have been for a long time. But
fresh peach cobbler straight out of the oven is oh so scrumptious. Ok enough
of the memory lane stuff. DH is not here for me to cry on his shoulder and
this just makes me realize how much I miss Grandmother and Granddaddy and
being so far away from my family.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"Taria" <taria...@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:uTFCe.6042$Zu1.2386@trnddc04...

[NightMist]

Since the local Big Lots was clearing out a shelf of Ben and Jerry's
vanilla bean, DH saved the day by running down and grabbing a couple
of pints. Lifted that top crust right off, mooshed the ice cream
around inside, put the crust back on and tucked the pie into the
freezer until dinner. It was a little wierd having a double crust ice
cream pie, but it was darn good!

I did pull out a couple of my older cook books, some of them say to
use sago to thicken juicy pies. Next time I am in the Swedish grocery
I will grab some and give it a try.

I still have no idea what went wrong with that pie. I used the
standard quarter cup + 1 tablespoon of corn starch I have used in
berry pies. If it works for stawberry rhubharb it ought to have
worked for peaches. I know that my oven is 25 degrees slow, and I
compensated for it. Maybe you can't use cornstarch in a pie with
liquor in it? I tend to splash spirits around in my recipes as though
they are water, but I can't think if I have ever had them in anything
that calls for cornstarch to thicken.

NightMist

--

[Sharon Harper]

(((((((hugs Mika))))))))) I remember when I was a little tacker - up to the
age of around 5 - before school anyways when mum and I still lived with her
parents, nan and pop. They had a huuuuuuuge mulberry tree in the backyard
and when it was in fruit you would always find me there stuffing my little
face with all the berries I could eat. I was always too ascared to climb
the tree but pop would come find me and help me up with him onto the shed
roof (right under a laden branch) and we'd lay there together eating and
joking. One of my favourite memories. My uncle wants to keep living in
their house but mum wants him to either sell it, or buy her out. Every time
we visit I go and give that tree a hug. I'll be devastated when the house
is sold, so many, many memories

--
Sharon from Melbourne Australia (Queen of Down Under)
http://www.geocities.com/shazrules/craft.html (takes a while to load)
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shazrules/my_photos (same as website but
quicker)

"Mika" <tajma...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:nCJCe.146567$mx5....@fe08.lga...

[Taria]

We had an apricot tree near the house I grew up in. Grandma made
apricot Kolache (kind of a sweet bread/roll) APricot tree was one
of the first things I did when I bought that house. This was the
slim year but I still have one more small bag in the freezer.
Some jam too. Food can really stir lots of memories.
Taria

[SNIGDIBBLY]

I've used corn starch many times and never had a problem. What if you
precooked the filling before adding it to the crust?

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"NightMist" <night...@gmail.com> wrote in message
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>
>

[SNIGDIBBLY]

Halbertas!! Cross between a Hale and an Elberta peach - large fleshy -
super sweet - and freestone. Slurp!!

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"Mika" <tajma...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

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[SNIGDIBBLY]

I second that!! ARKANSAS peaches are the greatest.

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"Mika" <tajma...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:4uFCe.61$SJ6...@fe11.lga...

[Butterfly]

IF I recollect 'orrectly isn't Georgia known as the Peach State? I'm not
arguing---I just wanna know if I have overdone the brain cells this AM

Butterfly (who HAS had peach pie in Georgia and Florida and Michigan and
Colorado ((Mmmmm, Palisade, CO peaches stick out in the mind for some
reason)) and California--need I go on)

"SNIGDIBBLY" <snigd...@cox.net> wrote in message
news:WSQCe.18403$fV.18115@okepread06...

[Taria]

I never met a peach pie I didn't like : )
Taria

[Taria]

It is a crying shame you, Sharon and I don't live close to each other.
What fun we would have!
Taria

Jan wrote:

> Are you sure?? I think we should go on a peach pie tasting trip just to be
> sure :-)))
>
> Jan
>
\

[NightMist]

If I lay hands on a bushel of peaches I surely do make some "naked
pie", as DD2 used to call it, and can it. I have to leave off the
pecans though, and add them in when I make the actual pie. They get
that odd sort of tough texture if you can them up with the filling.
I reckon instead of fussing with the corn starch, I'll probably just
make sure I have a goodly stock of tapioca in the house from now on.
It's just very annoying when unexplainable cooking disasters occur.
I do want to try the sago too. I've been meaning to get some anyway
as I have a recipe for a creamy pudding with it.

NightMist

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 11:30:09 -0500, "SNIGDIBBLY" <snigd...@cox.net>
wrote:

[Mika]

Oh Sharon I know exactly what you mean about the memories. The house we
lived in where we had the apricot tree has been gone for many many years but
the last time I was on that piece of property the tree was still there. That
too has been several years though.

I just found out this weekend that the homeplace where my Mom and her
siblings grew up, the place where my grandparents built their life of well
over 50 years together, is being sold. When Grandmother died two years ago,
the homeplace and about 40 acres was left to the oldest daughter, Sam, who
in turn divided it up and gave it to her three kids. She gave the house and
a few acres to Leigh, her oldest daughter. She was living with Leigh and her
husband so she didn't keep any land or anything for herself. Everyone tried
to tell Sam that she had better protect herself because Leigh may want to
sell out someday and she would be left with nothing. Of course, she said
that Leigh would never do that to her. Well Leigh and her husband have
decided to sell out and move to another state. So Sam is left with no
house, no land, nothing. But what goes around comes around because the way
she treated Grandmother in her last days was atrocious.

I just hate that the place where I had so much fun and made so many memories
is now nothing more than $$$ for greedy grandkids. I wish I had the money to
buy the place myself just to keep it in the family. Oh well, life goes on.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"Sharon Harper" <shar...@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:42db8484$0$29607$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...

[Mika]

Oh I'll bet those Kolaches were divine. I haven't had one of those in years.
You're right, food can stir up a lot of memories.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"Taria" <taria...@verizon.net> wrote in message

news:v%NCe.17396$IJ1.15666@trnddc02...

[Mika]

STOP IT SNIGS!!!!!!

I can't get those good, juicy, sweet peaches up here without giving up an
arm and a leg. And that doesn't include the $$ that I have to give up too.
Oh I miss the peach orchard. Shoot I miss those little red plums that make
such fabulous jelly and the blackberries and all that stuff. So just stop it
right now, you hear me. I can't take it anymore. LOL.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"SNIGDIBBLY" <snigd...@cox.net> wrote in message

news:iSQCe.18402$fV.7487@okepread06...

[Mika]

Yeah Georgia is the peach state but Arkansas has been known to grow some
absolutely divine peaches, strawberries and watermelon. And that's just for
starters. Anyone who goes to Arkansas during watermelon season, Cave City
watermelons are a MUST.

Mika
http://community.webshots.com/user/mikasdrms

"Butterfly" <butterfly_...@bak.nospam.com> wrote in message
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[SNIGDIBBLY]

... And ... the Black Diamond is the sweetest type of watermelon. Love them
with a passion but they don't last long enough.

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"Mika" <tajma...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

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[Tina]

I guess I am a typical Texan - we seem to think everything is better in
Texas! I just put up a bushel of Fredericksburg Freestone peaches and
they are the sweetest, juiciest, tastiest peaches I have ever eaten in
my life. Of course, it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that
I was raised on them. (The most comfortable position I have found so
far is just plain standing - DH couldn't believe I insisted on putting
up all those peaches this weekend! I wasn't about to let the whole
bushel rot in the box!)

I now have six quarts and six pints of sliced peaches, six pints of
peach jam, six pints of peach preserves and have already made two
cobblers. Not to mention the ones I ate on the way home or while I was
canning!

Now watermelons, I can't argue with. We get some really good, really
sweet watermelons from Hempstead and some really good seedless
watermelons from Mexico - but I am not that crazy about watermelon, so
am hardly an officianado.

Peachy hugs,
Tina

[Roberta]

All this talk about canning....is there a good website to learn how to
can things? I have made jams and have the huge pot that you heat the
jars in etc. The only way I have done canning is heating the full
jars and letting the lids "pop" are there certain things you have to
use a pressure cooker for?

Roberta (in VA)

[Tina]

I don't know of any really good online instructions or sites, but you
might try this:

http://www.homecanning.com/usa/ALProducts.asp

I learned from my grandma and ex-mother-in-law. I guess that's how
most people learn canning. But I do have a couple of good books, so
I'm sure you could find a good book about canning through E-bay or
Amazon too.

Good luck and have fun - it's really not that hard, just time consuming
doing the prep work.

Hugs,
Tina

[Julia in MN]

In general, low-acid foods (for example, most vegetables) should be
processed in a pressure canner instead of a simple hot water bath. In
the U.S. you should be able to get pamphlets on safe canning procedures
from your local county extension office. The Ball and Kerr companies
(makers of canning jars & lids) used to have some good instruction books
available. Use up-to-date information; some of the older procedures are
no longer considered safe.

Some links for you:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/foodsafety/components/foodpreservation.htm
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html

Julia in MN

Roberta wrote:
> All this talk about canning....is there a good website to learn how to
> can things? I have made jams and have the huge pot that you heat the
> jars in etc. The only way I have done canning is heating the full
> jars and letting the lids "pop" are there certain things you have to
> use a pressure cooker for?

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[Roberta]

Thank you :)

Roberta (in VA)

[Elizabeth Young]

Roberta wrote:
> All this talk about canning....is there a good website to learn how to
> can things?

Don't know about a website, but the University Extension services would
often have leaflets explaining it. If there is a local UE, give them a ring.

liz young

[NightMist]

Dunno about websites.
You can ring up the local co-operative extension and they usually have
some good pamphlets, or you could check the Dept. of Ag. for
pamphlets.
Then there is always the library. Cookbooks galore usually, and many
of them have sections on canning. They may have specific books on it.

Don't forget to check the survivalist books too, and back issues of
any number of magazines.
You could also run down to the senior citizen's center and post a note
on the bulletin board. Borrow a grandma and get the real nitty gritty
first hand.

NightMist

--

[SNIGDIBBLY]

Your water bath cooker is just fine but a pressure cooker is quicker, gets
higher temps, and less lid sealing failures. I usually did both back in the
day when I canned because I always had to so much to do at one time. I
saved the water bath cooker for my high acid things like tomatoes.

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"Roberta" <robert...@somewhere.com> wrote in message
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[Listpig]

For things like low acid vegetables, the alternatives are a whole lot of
extra time in the water bath (close to double), or pressure canning, the
latter being better, of course.

We don't tend to can meats as much as our ancestors did, given that we're
not doing our own butchering and have freezers, but if you go to can a meat
soup, you're into the class of "pressure cooking really mandatory."

--pig

On 7/20/05 22:11, in article qi4ud1t91h916fhn6...@4ax.com,
"Roberta" <robert...@somewhere.com> wrote:

--