How can I make this pie less runny?

[Anonymous]

I made this strawberry rhubarb pie and it tastes amazing, but there was so much runny juice from the strawberries. How can I keep the taste, but thicken the filling?

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
2 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar


In a bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until thoroughly combined. Stir in the rhubarb, strawberries, white sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to stand for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place bottom crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Roll the remaining crust out into a 10-inch circle on a floured work surface, and set aside.
Stir the filling, and pour into the prepared pie dish. Cut the remaining crust into 1-inch wide strips (use a scalloped edge pastry cutter for a prettier crust). Moisten the rim of the filled bottom crust with a bit of water, and lay the two longest strips in a cross in the middle of the pie. Working from the next longest down to the shortest strips, alternate horizontal and vertical strips, weaving the strips as you go. Press the lattice strips down onto the bottom crust edge to seal, and trim the top crust strips neatly. Beat the egg white with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and brush the entire lattice top with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Wrap aluminum foil strips around the edges of the pie.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and bake until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbling, 40 to 45 more minutes. Remove the aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking time. Allow pie to cool completely before serving.

[Anonymous]

I’d cook the mixture down before putting in the crust. It seems like this recipe misses the whole part about cooking the filling, so I’d start there.

You can increase the starch or could also try Sure Jell (pectin) instead of cornstarch if it’s still not exactly what you want. Cornstarch thickens more when it cools, pectin thickens almost immediately on the stove. You do have to let starch mixtures cool a bit more before adding to the crust.

Here’s an example recipe you can use as a guide for cooking the filling, its blackberry but the process can be used for any kind of pie recipe.

https://aranchmom.com/blackberry-pie-recipe/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d cook the mixture down before putting in the crust. It seems like this recipe misses the whole part about cooking the filling, so I’d start there.

You can increase the starch or could also try Sure Jell (pectin) instead of cornstarch if it’s still not exactly what you want. Cornstarch thickens more when it cools, pectin thickens almost immediately on the stove. You do have to let starch mixtures cool a bit more before adding to the crust.

Here’s an example recipe you can use as a guide for cooking the filling, its blackberry but the process can be used for any kind of pie recipe.

https://aranchmom.com/blackberry-pie-recipe/

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I don’t cook my strawberry rhubarb filling. Did you let it cool completely op? If you cut any fruit pie early it’s going to bleed out.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's a runny pie. You can do a blind bake, and cook the filling in a pot. Thicken as needed while evaporating off water. Add filling then top crust. And bake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t cook my strawberry rhubarb filling. Did you let it cool completely op? If you cut any fruit pie early it’s going to bleed out.

Yes. I cut into it the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t cook my strawberry rhubarb filling. Did you let it cool completely op? If you cut any fruit pie early it’s going to bleed out.

How is your recipe different, btw?

[Anonymous]

Omit water. Toss the strawberries in half the sugar and let it sit for 30 min. Take the juices and boil them to a syrup. Add 1 tsp bloomed unflavored gelatin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omit water. Toss the strawberries in half the sugar and let it sit for 30 min. Take the juices and boil them to a syrup. Add 1 tsp bloomed unflavored gelatin

Ooh, that’s a great idea!

[Anonymous]

I would not cook the fruit. I’ve never seen that for a strawberry rhubarb pie.

Pp suggestion about letting the strawberries macerate and then cook down that juice would probably work. Or just get the King Arthur gel for fruit pies and add a few teaspoons of that. It doesn’t affect taste the way that too much corn starch does.

[Anonymous]

Minute tapioca.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Minute tapioca.

I hate the texture of tapioca in fruit pies.

Macerate the strawberries in sugar, take the liquid, and cook with cornstarch to thicken. Or just use potato starch instead of cornstarch, combine filling ingredients, and let sit for 20 minutes before putting in the pie shell and baking.

[Anonymous]

These are great suggestions. Thank you all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not cook the fruit. I’ve never seen that for a strawberry rhubarb pie.

Pp suggestion about letting the strawberries macerate and then cook down that juice would probably work. Or just get the King Arthur gel for fruit pies and add a few teaspoons of that. It doesn’t affect taste the way that too much corn starch does.

I’d never heard of the Instant Clear Jel. That sounds perfect. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

up the corn starch. that's a ton of liquid from the straw berries