Fruit Pies
1. Don’t pour hot fillings into crusts. The hot filling soaks into the crust and makes them soggy.
2. When making a double-crust pie, be careful not to spill filling on the edge of the crust. The filling will make it harder to seal the top crust to the bottom crust.
3. Moisten the rim of the bottom crust with water and a pastry brush. It will make it easier to get a good seal between the crusts.
4. Press the edges of the top and bottom crusts firmly together to get a good seal. Pressing the edges together with the tines of a fork works well.
5. Be sure to put slits in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.
6. Brush the top crust with an egg, butter, or milk wash. Egg washed tops have a shiny appearance while the butter and milk washes have a softer, homemade appearance. Sprinkle the tops with granulated or turbinado sugar after the wash.
Meringue Pies
1. Whip the egg whites until just stiff. Do not over-beat.
2. Spread a generous amount of meringue on each pie. Spread the meringue to the edges of the pie so that the meringue attaches to the crust.
3. Bake the pie with the meringue topping at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes or until attractively browned.
4. Cool the pie before slicing. Wet the blade of the knife before slicing. The meringue will not stick to a wet blade.