How To Prevent Soggy Fillings In Your Apple And Cherry Pies

Whether you're cooking for Thanksgiving, a company potluck, or a family dinner, acing the filling of a fruit pie is a valuable skill for anyone to master. One of the trickiest parts of the pie-making process is creating a filling that's juicy and full of flavor but doesn't make your crust soggy, especially by the time you're ready to go back for leftovers.

For those who want to ensure their cherry or apple pie doesn't go sodden, Food Republic spoke to Jennifer Boggiss, CEO and Co-founder of Heilala Vanilla, for some of her expertise. "For apples, toss them with sugar (vanilla sugar adds a lovely flavor) and let them sit for 20–30 minutes," Boggiss stated. "This process draws out excess liquid, which you can drain off before adding the apples to your pie." 

Because sugar, like salt, is hydrophilic, not only will coating apples in sugar draw out the liquid, but in doing so, it will soften the apples, making them even better suited for making a delicious pie. Boggiss' tip for nailing the perfect cherry pie filling is just slightly different. "For cherries, cook them briefly with sugar and a bit of cornstarch to thicken their juices. This helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy."

These techniques are just the gateway to the infinite world of pie-filling perfection. The true beauty of making pies at home is the amount of personalization you can layer into every crust. 

If you're worried about the filling being too runny, Jennifer Boggiss has another tip for that. "Cornstarch, tapioca starch, or flour are all great options for thickening," Boggiss said. "For the best results, mix the thickener with your sugar before combining it with the fruit; this ensures everything blends evenly. Tapioca starch creates a beautifully smooth, glossy filling, perfect for that wow factor. Flour is a simple, reliable choice and works wonderfully when you're in a hurry."

Another trick to create a flavorful apple pie filling is to add sour cream. Yes, sour cream can act as a thickener to your filling to keep your crust crisp. Add a cup of sour cream to your apples along with flour (which will help prevent the sour cream from curdling while also thickening as well), an egg, and sugar to create a rich, creamy pie.

If you're short on time and trying to make a pie in a hurry, remember that yes, you can use canned fruit for your pie filler. Because the fruit is preserved, there is no need to macerate the apples or cherries, especially because the syrup will thicken naturally once you cook it down.