Make a tart or traditional cherry pie?
March 18, 2023 7:28 PM   Subscribe

I have a 24 [oz. jar of Morello cherries. It says packed in syrup, but I think it's cherry juice. Which is fine. I just need to thicken it up with some starch if I want to use it in a pie or tart. I understand that you can also use tapioca, which I have never used. One question is does tapioca show up in the finished filling as white specks? Also does it pop when you bite into it...like those bubble tea things. If so, I don't think that would be appealing to me. The last part of my questions involved weather or not to make a tart instead of a pie. I have never made a tart, but I bought a new tart pan and am anxious to use it. It has a removable bottom and the bottom has hundreds of tiny holes in it. I

am concerned about the filling liquid dripping thru the holes. I would be careful to notice any tears or holes in the dough of course. I really am anxious to use it. I like how tarts look on a platter on the table, as opposed to a traditional pie in a pie dish. Oh, also, I will be buying a normal cherry pie filling at the supermarket to add to the morello ones. I like the idea of using two different cherries in the tart/pie. I have been spending way too much time debating this, believe me, like weeks.... So tart or pie? I will miss the extra crust you get on the edges when you do a normal cherry pie versus a tart, but I'm ok with that. I will also add a little bit of almond extract either way I go.
Help me make a decision my friends!
posted by Czjewel to Food & Drink (10 answers total)
 
To address your tapioca concerns: you can use tapioca starch or quick tapioca, which are small little bits, rather than the pearls in bubble tea. If you use the starch or quick/minute tapioca, there won't be any noticeable texture. You can also use small tapioca pearls, which would be noticable, especially in a tart. I like using tapioca starch because flour results in a more cloudy filling. The filling with glisten and look a bit redder with tapioca.

In terms of pie vs tart, given your concerns about the filling leaking, and since you are going with the mix of cherries and pie filling, I'd vote for pie this time around. For your inaugural tart, I'd go for a thicker filling so you don't need to worry about it. If you do go with the tart pan, I suggest you put a sheet of aluminum foil on the lower oven rack to catch any drips.

Hope it turns out great!
posted by jenquat at 7:52 PM on March 18, 2023


Fwiw, the bubble tea things that pop aren't the tapioca pearls. They're actually spheres of liquid in sodium alginate skins.
posted by esker at 7:54 PM on March 18, 2023 [8 favorites]


Custard/pudding layer! Make the tart or pie crust. Make a thick pudding (creme patissiere, if you want to be fancy) and spread a layer on the bottom. Finally, add the cherry layer (with thickener of your choice) on top.
posted by dum spiro spero at 8:05 PM on March 18, 2023 [2 favorites]


I love cherry pie made with quick tapioca. It results in a filling that has a little bit of texture, but not too much. It is visible but not in an unpleasant way -- it kind of ends up looking like tiny clear balls up to 1mm across. If you're not paying close attention you're unlikely to notice.
posted by kdar at 8:50 PM on March 18, 2023


It sounds like your heart wants the tart, but: I just ran across composer Ned Rorem's cherry clafouti recipe.
posted by amtho at 9:29 PM on March 18, 2023


Do you have a second oven rack that you can place underneath with a cookie sheet on it to catch any drips?
posted by donut_princess at 4:20 AM on March 19, 2023


I use instant tapioca in blueberry pie, per the recipe in our copy of Joy Of Cooking. It's not very noticeable in the finished product but you can easily see it if you look for it. No experience with cherries.
posted by SemiSalt at 4:48 AM on March 19, 2023


I use instant tapioca to thicken fruit pies. The tapioca can be seen if you look but it takes on the color of the fruit so doesn't call attention to itself. I prefer tapioca to other starches because it doesn't have a starchy-taste. The flavor of fruit rings brighter.
posted by tmdonahue at 5:39 AM on March 19, 2023 [1 favorite]


Another vote for cherry clafouti, which I made with Morello cherries and wow, was it good!
posted by Lynsey at 8:39 AM on March 19, 2023


I vote make both.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 10:12 AM on March 19, 2023


« Older Help for a fictional ankle sprain in Italy   |   Criteria for choosing a post-pandemic dentist? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.