You know that feeling. The feeling of cutting into a fruit pie and seeing runny liquid all over the pan. We’ve all been there. But follow these tips and you won’t ever have that feeling again! And even if you forget and you do end up with a runny pie (sigh!)…I’ve got the solutions to help you fix it.
In general, bake your pie the entire time the recipe calls for, follow the measurements exactly, and let the pie cool completely before cutting into it. But if you bake your pie and it’s STILL runny try letting it cool down (if you haven’t yet) and it will likely thicken as it cools, put it back in the oven again to activate the thickener or drain off some of the liquid off and then put it back in the oven. The last resort is to remove the filling, put it in a pan on the stove, add cornstarch, and thicken it up.
Baking a pie so you don’t get a runny filling can sound a bit overwhelming but it isn’t. Not at all. Let me break down some of the need-to-know stuff so you’ll find pie baking easy peasy.
Typically when a strawberry rhubarb pie filling (or really any fruit pie) is runny it has to do with either the pie not cooking long enough or it not cooling long enough before slicing.
Why is my pie runny?
Baking with fruit can be a tricky business because different fruits have different water, sugar, & pectin properties that require various thickening processes and baking requirements. If you veer off from a pie recipe even a small bit you might find your pie runny. Luckily most runny pies are culprits of the same mistakes (usually under baking or under cooling) and you can almost guarantee that you won’t have a runny pie again if you follow good pie-baking tips.
Bake the pie fully.
Most thickeners activate after maintaining a certain temperature long enough. 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.
You want to see thick bubbling! The bubbling of the filling is activating the natural gelatin of your fruit as well as your thickeners. Be sure your pie stays in the oven for plenty of time to get to this bubble stage.
If needed, use a pie shield to help protect your crust from burning. If you have a double crust, add an aluminum foil cover to protect the top.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
FAQ
Why is my rhubarb pie so watery?
How do you fix a runny fruit pie?
Why is my strawberry pie watery?
What would cause pie filling to be runny?
Why is my strawberry rhubarb pie mushy?
One common issue with strawberry rhubarb pie is the whole “mushy puddle” situation. Bottom line: the filling is known to be a soupy mess. I asked around and found that instant tapioca is usually the fix. I didn’t have any tapioca in my cupboards and wasn’t about to show my face in the grocery store AGAIN that day, so cornstarch was my choice.
How do you make rhubarb crumble?
Rhubarb crumble is made of sliced rhubarb, flour, cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, strawberries, apples, salt, baking powder, cold butter, and oats.
Why is my rhubarb pie filling runny?
Why is my filling runny? Typically when a strawberry rhubarb pie filling (or really any fruit pie) is runny it has to do with either the pie not cooking long enough or it not cooling long enough before slicing. Fruit pies do take quite a while to bake and you want to make sure that the juices are rapidly bubbling before you take it out of the oven.
Why is my rhubarb pie watery?
Well, watery pie is a very common problem depending on the recipe used. If you are not adding anything to deal with it you are basically counting on the rhubarb to have only so much moisture. Definite risk overall. 1-2 TBsp tapioca flour and 1 grated granny smith apple; this will create a natural “gel” and make consistency easier to achieve.