Southern Apple Pie Recipe

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If you find yourself cooking up a lot of apples in the kitchen, you probably know that cooking apples make them juicier. But when you start baking a recipe for apple pie, the apples need to be cooked first. It’s for the same reason that you cook the vegetables and meat before your baking them. The initial baking removes the acid.

To make your apple pie the right way, you need to cook the apples first. If you are looking for the best apple pie recipe that calls for cooking the apples, you won’t find it. Most cooks would turn to time-tested and reliable advice. We decided to look up some of my favorite apple pie recipes on the internet and compare the method used by the sites to the advice given by the sources.

apple pie with roller and flour

Do You Cook Apples Before Baking For Pies?

Yes, if you want the apples to soak up the flavors of the other ingredients, you want the apples to have enough time to become tender enough. If you’re making an apple pie from scratch, I recommend cooking them with its juices and mushiness intact. Don’t press down hard. The apples will keep their integrity and, as the filling cooks, it will melt into a soupy consistency. This can be done using a combo of methods. There are many ways to cook apples before putting them in a pie.

Try cooking your apples in a frying pan. You can cut raw apples into pieces, mix them in a food processor, mix them in a pan with some water, simmer them with sugar and spices. This is an extremely gentle method.

What’s The Best Apples To Use For Apple Pie?

The two primary types of apples for pie are your Granny Smith and your Fuji apples. They tend to have better skins to peel off easily, and they have smaller, sweet-tart bites. Some other apples to consider when making a pie include:

  • Honey crisp
  • Wolf river
  • McIntosh
  • Golden delicious
  • Gala

How Long Can An Apple Pie Set Before Baking?

Technically, pie can last up to two days before baking. It depends on how long you have to bake the pie. The longer you have to bake the pie, the less sugar it will have. A frozen pie with 5 or 6 hours of baking time will have a decent amount of sweetness. The least amount of sugar will be around 3 or 4 hours and, in the case of a fresh pie, will be best after being tossed in warm applesauce.

Should I Soak Apples Before Making Pie?

Yes, it’ll be wiser to soak your apples in apple juice to enhance natural flavors. Drinking your apple slices will also help prevent your pie from browning. Of course, this can be done after you wash the apples with a brush. It’s also not recommended to soak apples into water.

How To Make Apple Pie Filling

Some people like to cook up the apple pie filling and take a shortcut by peeling and slicing up apples. If you use a food processor, you can save a lot of time, and the apples tend to retain their shape while in the food processor. Some people leave the skins on the apples and use them in their pies as well. Cooked apples tend to have a more uniform sweetness and sweeter flavor.

How Many Apples Need To Be Used In A Pie?

Gordon Ramsay often suggests using four apples in a pie. Small apples can be used in their apple sauce in their entirety. In particular, Granny Smith and Jonagold apples have a sweet, crisp flavor that is great for pie and pastries. If you want to use your apple pie with a bit of spice, you can use some seeds. 

southern apple pie in center

Southern Apple Pie Recipe

This delicious Southern apple pie will remind you of your old grandmother's recipe. Use the taste of fresh apples to sweeten the pie and utilize our unique spices. Try our pie and let us know how your variations taste like!
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pie
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Calories: 577kcal

Ingredients

  • 5 apples chopped into inch pieces
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • tsp cinnamon
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 pie crusts deep dish

Instructions

  • Place inch sized chopped apples on the bottom of the crust.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples.
  • Cut slices of butter and place it on top of mixture. Cover the sugar mixture with the other pie crust. Make 4 knife slits on top of the crust.
  • Place pie in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let pie rest for 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 577kcal | Protein: 5g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 410mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 30g
cooked food on black ceramic plates

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