These notes are for making fruit pie fillings. There is another page for actually making the pies. My reasoning for breaking it down this way is that you may want to use the fruit fillings for something completely different and this saves you from wading through a pie recipe that you may not be interested in.
I have been working on this pie filling formula for most of the past year and have tried out many variations, some with only moderate success. This recipe tends to work fairly well.
This recipe is for 3 - 9" pies. You can scale it for your sizes and quantities.
I use dark maple syrup whenever I can get it. It is not always available so regular syrup will work just as well.
Use the lemon juice for fruit that tends to be sweet. You can reduce it or eliminate it altogether for tart fruit.
I use Cooking Clear Jel to set my pies. You can find purchasing information on the Links, Sources & Miscellanea page. You can also find my source for pie pans there.
I use frozen fruit for almost all of my fillings. This arose as I was making pies during the 2021 - 2022 winter from fruit that I froze the previous summer. Currently, my only exception is apples. Another reason is that I usually put the pies in the freezer and the cold fruit tends to keep the liquid to a minimum and keeps the pie shells firm. It is important to keep the fruit in the freezer until you are ready to make the filling.
I make the pie shells up and then I make the filling. I fill the shells and then roll out and put on the top crusts. I do this all as quick as I can so that I can get the pies into the freezer without the fruit melting too much.
Sometimes I mix strawberries and rhubarb, usually 2 parts strawberries to 1 part rhubarb.
APPLES
I like to use Gala apples for my pies. (If you use apples which are more tart you may wish to increase the maple syrup by 1/4 cup.) They hold their shape well and bring their own sweetness to the pie. I use an apple corer, slicer and peeler that I purchased from Lee Valley. (Sourcing information here.) I don't actually peel the apples but you can if you wish.
I then cut the apples into smaller pieces. I put the apple pieces into a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. This keeps them from turning brown. I don't add lemon juice to the maple syrup when I do this.
Also, apples are the only fruit (so far) that I prepare partially ahead of time. It takes some time and is quite messy to go through the coring and slicing process.
Once I have the apples to this point I cover and refrigerate them until I have the shells ready. I then carry on like they are a frozen fruit.