Featured here is one of the pie recipes that I would get from Keith Boyle, a longtime fixture at the Portland farmer’s market at Uncle’s Farm Stand. He passed on October 8th unexpectedly from a fatal heart attack.
Over the years he would share his family’s recipes with me–both from his mother, Patty Boyle, who passed some years ago and his grandmother, Gladys Gilbert, 90. These are all old-fashioned farm recipes, some dating back many decades. This crabapple pie is typical of the great recipes Keith offered.
As American as crabapple pie? Well, hardly, since this fruit doesn’t’ enjoy the same popularity as its larger cousin, the apple. That’s a shame because crabapples are a sturdy little fruit with a distinctive taste that work beautifully in pies, jams (very high in pectin), chutneys and sauces.
Crabapples are a little difficult to work with because they’re so small. They generally don’t need peeling; if you did, using the standard peeler might result in some nicked fingers. Actually it’s preferable to leave the skins on because they’re pectin rich and act as a natural thickener.
The ingredients are fairly simple: crabapples, sugar, flour and butter. I noticed, however, that Gilbert’s recipe didn’t call for the usual apple pie spices of cinnamon and nutmeg. I was tempted to add them but decided to make the pie without alteration. In fact the crabapples have so much flavor—faintly lemony—that anything else would mask their great flavor.
Some of the directions were a little vague in Gilbert’s handwritten recipe, however, and I altered it slightly where needed. Preparing the fruit is somewhat time consuming because you need a lot of crabapples to yield 6 cups. Count on about 3 pounds or about 30 crabapples.
The crabapples should be cored, pitted and quartered after they’re steamed and here’s how to do it; because of their size they’re otherwise a bit messy to handle. Cut the apples in half. The half containing the core and pits should be handled this way: cut the apple away from either side of core and pits; this will yield 2 to 3 small pieces. Cut the remaining half in half again. If you used an apple corer the fruit would fall apart. Put the small pieces into a large glass measure until you have 6 heaping cups.
Because the raw crabapples are so hard, they’re steamed for several minutes before using. I thought this was an interesting step, and in researching other crabapple pie recipes, I found this to be standard in other recipes.
One final flavor feature is this: According to Keith, his grandmother’s secret ingredient is brown sugar sprinkled over the crabapple mixture once it’s assembled in the pie shell. Also, I added about 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to the apple mixture; this is optional, according to preference.
Let the pie rest for about 30 minutes before serving, allowing the filling to set. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- Pastry dough for 2-crust pie (see Note 2)
- 6 cups crabapples, cut in quarters (see cooking notes above), unpeeled
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1/ 4 (heaping) cup light-brown sugar
- Milk and sugar for glazing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Prepare the bottom crust and affix in a 9-inch pie dish. Refrigerate until needed.
- Meanwhile prepare a steamer by putting a steaming rack into a large pot filled with several inches of water and bring to the boil. Add the apples, cover and steam for 3 minutes. Drain into a large strainer and let cool for another 3 minutes.
- Prepare the apples by cutting in quarters (see headnote), removing seeds, core and stem. You will need 6 cups, about 3 pounds or about 30 crabapples. Put into a large mixing bowl and mix with the white sugar, butter, flour and lemon juice, combining with your hands.
- Transfer to the prepared shell, mounding up the apples. Sprinkle the top with the light-brown sugar. Affix the top crust, making a decorative edge and cut four small slits in the dough. Brush the pastry lightly with milk or an egg wash of milk or cream beaten into the egg; sprinkle the top with sugar (the original recipe does not call for this).
- Put the pie on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment (keeps the sheet clean) and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for at least 45 minutes, (rotating the pan halfway through) or until the juices inside are bubbling and the crust is a rich golden brown (see Note). Serve warm with ice cream.
- Note: If after 45 minutes the juices are not bubbling much raise the heat to 375 degrees and turn on the convection and continue to bake for about 7 minutes longer until the juices are bubbling well inside the pie. You want to make sure the apples are cooked and softened and a period of simmering in their juices will accomplish this. If the crust gets too dark, cover the pie loosely with foil. All ovens are different so baking time is approximate.
- Note 2: My flaky pastry dough recipe, which I’ve included here often, is a wonderful one to use in pies. It’s basically a butter dough enriched with freshly rendered lard, which adds incredible texture to the dough. Using a food processor put in 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use southern soft-wheat flour, available from specialty sources), pinch salt and heaping tablespoon sugar. Pulse a few times to combine. Add 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted or lightly salted butter, chilled and cubed and 5 tablespoons (2.5 ounces) lard, cubed and chilled. Pulse it 10 times until you have small and slightly larger pieces of fat and the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pulsing, add gradually 1/2 cup of ice water until the mixture just begins to pull away from the bowl. It should be slightly moist to the touch. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead gently once or twice and form into 2 disks, wrapped in waxed paper and chilled for at least 1 hour before rolling out.
Nutrition Facts
Gladys Gilbert's Crabapple Pie
Serves:
Amount Per Serving | ||
---|---|---|
Calories | 6 to 8 | |
% Daily Value* | ||
Total Fat | 0 | |
Saturated Fat | 0 | |
Trans Fat | ||
Cholesterol | 0 | |
Sodium | 0 | |
Total Carbohydrate | 0 | |
Dietary Fiber | 0 | |
Sugars | ||
Protein |
Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
Calcium | Iron |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The Golden Dish