Apple pie question...apples shrink during baking

[Kevin S.]

'Tis the season, and Mr Hays' recent apple pie recipe question has raised a question of my own (a kinda' dumb one):

I fill the pie to a nice round mound of filling and place the crust on top, cut a few vent holes and proceed with the bake. Once done, the pie looks beautiful, with a gorgeous golden color and wonderful smell. Unfortunately, when I cut into the pie, there's a big gap between the top crust and the filling- the filling has settled yet the crust has retained it's original mounded shape. The top crust collapses onto the filling, broken into pieces.

I thought that perhaps the filling was placed too loosely into the pie and was simply cooking down, so I've gone so far as to hand-layer the filling to eliminate air gaps. No luck.

I expect the filling to settle as it cooks, but why doesn't the top crust settle with it? I'm just trying to create a nice thick slice o' pie like I've enjoyed from the pros, yet I get a hollow-crusted dissapointment.

Any advice?

 

[Rita Y]

Kevin, try sauteing the apple filling in a large saute pan or Dutch oven and cooling it before putting it into the pie crust to finish the bake. That will get rid of excess juices by reducing them and will collapse the apples before adding the top crust. This works for me...I've had my share of craters, believe me! Also, with this method, you can increase the amount of apples you use for each pie.

Rita

 

[Jane Cherry]

Rita is so correct. Please view this article I pulled up from Cook's Illustrated:

The Incredible Shrinking Apple

When raw apples are used in a deep-dish pie, they shrink to almost nothing, leaving a huge gap between the top crust and filling. Precooking the apples eliminates the shrinking problem and actually helps the apples hold their shape once baked in the pie.

This seems counterintuitive, but here's what happens: When the apples are gently heated, their pectin is converted to a heat-stable form that prevents the apples from becoming mushy when cooked further in the oven. The key is to keep the temperature of the apples below 140 degrees during this precooking stage. Rather than cooking the apples in a skillet (where they are likely to become too hot), it's best to gently heat the apples and seasonings in a large covered Dutch oven.

 

[Kevin S.]

Thank you, ladies! It is counterintuitive, but I see how it would work.

I love a pie piled high with filling, but it's never worked for me. I can't wait to give it a try.