how much tapioca do you put in a fruit pie

This Blueberry Tapioca Pie is a fun and unique twist on a classic dessert. The tapioca adds a fun texture to the pie, while the blueberries provide a burst of sweet and tart flavors. The crust is tender and flaky, and vanilla ice cream on top adds the perfect touch of creaminess.Tasty Team

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Cornstarch and flour are also tried-and-true additions that help pie juices thicken. But both can fail, and too much flour can make the pie taste, well, flour-y.

Tapioca—a product derived from cassava, a root vegetable—comes in several forms: flour, starch, pearls, and beads. The most common form used for pie thickening is instant or minute tapioca, which is par-cooked, dried, and pulverized into irregular granules. (Its widely available on store shelves across most of America—look in the baking aisle, usually near the gelatin).

Luckily, a recent cookbook by Holly Ricciardi, chef-owner of Magpie Artisan Pies in Philadelphia, reminded me of what is perhaps the best way to thicken a pie. Its an old-school thickener—one Im sure my great-grandmother used and maybe her great-grandmother, too.

The natural pectin in fruit is one way. They help the fruit juices congeal when long simmered, like in jam. But often, pies arent cooked long enough for the pectin to really kick in.

Finally, Riccardi recommends that once baked, “its important to let your pie rest overnight, allowing the starches within the pie time to re-bond, and letting the juices be reabsorbed.” This is, she admits, the hardest piece of advice to follow.

Which Fruit Pie Thickeners Should I Use? – Pie Q&A with Kate McDermott

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