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.

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.

Adding Thickener

A thickener prevents the filling from being too watery by adding a substance that will absorb some of the liquid that seeps out of the fruit. A small amount of thickener should not alter the flavor of your pie. Use cornstarch as a thickener.

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.

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

No, when canning pie filling, there is no substitute for Clear Jel®. Other thickeners like cornstarch clump when canning and may interfere with heat being able to reach throughout the jar. Without heat penetrating throughout the jar, yeast, mold, or other harmful bacteria can form.

👩‍🍳 Pro Tip: I like to add half the potato at the beginning, as these potatoes will soften quite a lot during the cooking process and will help to thicken the pie filling. Then I add more potatoes about halfway through the cooking time, so there are some slightly firmer potatoes in there too.

Bake the pie fully.

If you don't leave the pie in the oven long enough your thickener doesn't get to the necessary temperature and time to thicken your filling.

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.

How much cornstarch to thicken? ›

If you're cooking hot liquids like sauces, stock or broth, 1 tablespoon of corn starch per cup of liquid will give you a thin to medium consistency that's appropriate for soups or very thin sauces. 2 tablespoons per cup will give you a thicker, more gravy-like consistency.

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency.

Clear Jel powder {the cooking type} is simply modified corn starch and works well to keep fillings nice and thick whether you are going to cook them right away, or stash in the freezer for later. Clear Jel powder also works great to thicken up cream pies too.

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.

As the filling cools it will thicken, and if you slice the pie before it cools to room temperature, it won't thicken no matter how long you wait. This is also true of pies with custard fillings. They need to have that elusive jiggly center when you take them out of the oven.