The Secret To Making the Perfect Berry Pie

© shoutingforha

You long time readers are well aware of my great affinity for pie.  Sure cake is good, but pie... Now, that's something really special. 

Many people will say that the secret to a really great pie is all in the crust.  I always make my own crust (you can get the no-fail recipe here), and so I partially agree with that statement.  That said, there are plenty of tasty pies made with store-bought crust, and besides, I really don't want to talk about crust today.  

In my humble opinion, I think there is one key ingredient that is essential when it comes to making the perfect berry pie.  Are you ready?

© shoutingforha

That's right.  Minute Tapioca.

Most fruit pie recipes call for the addition of flour, sugar and spices.  As the fruit cooks, the juices will theoretically blend with the flour resulting in a well-set pie.  While this approach seems to work perfectly when it comes to making an apple or peach pie, I have found that when flour is mixed with berries, the result is an unappetizing paste.  Do you know what I'm talking about?

© shoutingforha

That's where the Minute Tapioca comes into play.  I simply follow the directions on the back of the box.  For the mixed berry pie pictured above, I used 4 cups of fruit, 1 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of Tapioca and a little fresh lemon juice.  Lightly toss the ingredients together and assemble your pie as usual. 

As the pie bakes, the juices from the berries meld with the Tapioca resulting in the perfect berry pie.  I would describe the texture as something similar to a jam or jelly as opposed to the pasty mess created by flour.  

I hope you will give it a try.  Your fellow pie lovers will thank you.

This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday hosted by We Are That Family.