Pie Thickener (2024)

FAQs

What can I use to thicken pie filling? ›

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

The tapioca powder is also great for a stew thickener. I love using tapioca in my fruit pies. Also cornstarch, flour is third choice for pies, but flour is my first choice for gravy.

Which one you use is a matter of personal preference. Cornstarch makes for a shiny, glossy filling. A little goes a long way because it has twice the gelling power of flour. Flour thickens nicely but leaves more of a matte finish.

The most common and accessible way to thicken pie filling is by using a starch.

All-purpose flour is an easy substitute for cornstarch; in fact you may see recipes for thickening pie fillings or soups with either. You'll need 2 tablespoons of flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a recipe.

Cornstarch is the most common thickening agent used in the industry. It is mixed with water or juice and boiled to make fillings and to give a glossy semi-clear finish to products.

Cherries, like most fruit, give off liquid ( juice) as they cook. Adding thickener like cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca starch, or even flour helps make the juice into a kind of gel.

No. Cornstarch is a starch used for thickening, while cream of tartar is an acid used for leavening, stabilizing, and preventing crystallization.

What if the filling is too runny in steak pie? ›

If the filling is too runny, lift out the meat and veg with a slotted spoon to your pie dish and boil the liquid hard to reduce. Then combine with the meat and allow to cool while you make the pastry. Preheat the oven to 190c/170c fan. Sift the flour and salt into a food processor or a mixing bowl.

The result is a soupy cobbler with a soggy top. Try this: Add one to two tablespoons of cornstarch to the filling. Partnered with a little sugar and lemon juice, this will make a lush sauce for the fruit.

There are plenty of situations that require the thickening power of a pantry starch: your pie filling, soup, sauce, gravy. Cornstarch, tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour), arrowroot, potato starch and plain old wheat flour are typical options.

Cornstarch thickens the pastry cream without imparting a floury flavor. Bringing pastry cream to a bubble deactivates the yolk's starch-dissolving amylase. Finishing with butter adds shine and flavor.

For Compotes and Pie fillings—Substitute equal parts cornstarch for Instant Clearjel and cook all filling ingredients over the stove until you reach your desired thickness. Cornstarch requires heat to thicken, so it will take more time, but you should be able to reach similar results.