Okay, so maybe not
such a mystery since I have been talking obsessively about grape pies since I learned of their existence back in January. When I started the pie odyssey, I studied the rules for various pie competitions, and found that the Albemarle County Fair has a whole category for grape pies. How could a pie I've never even heard of have its own category of competition at my county's fair? Are there really that many people in the county making grape pies on a regular basis? If so, why have I never met them? Is there anywhere in the county that one can purchase a grape pie?
Anyways. With contributions of concord grapes from friends and strangers, I finally got enough for a pie. I used a recipe from
Retro Pies: A Collection of Celebrated Family Recipes by Linda Everett (a fabulous cookbook that Miss Julie gave me). It was way less tedious to make than I thought it would be because you get to pop the grapes out of their skins, which is very satisfying. I include pictures of the separated pulps and skins. After heating and straining the pulps, you reintegrate the two parts, add a few other ingredients and pour into the
shell. I opted for a crumb top rather than a double pastry crust, because I didn't want it to taste like grape jam on white bread. I've hesitated to make this pie because I worry that it is going to be too grapey; it certainly smells like jam. But why else does the pie odyssey exist, if not to make even the most seemingly repulsive of pies? I suspect that after eating this, I may only want to make toned-down versions in future. Like perhaps a grapes balanced by something creamy or cheesy, or perhaps paired with a really tart fruit, like gooseberries, or dare I suggest it, rhubarb...
Okay, so maybe not such a mystery since I have been talking obsessively about grape pies since I learned of their existence back in January. When I started the pie odyssey, I studied the rules for various pie competitions, and found that the Albemarle County Fair has a whole category for grape pies. How could a pie I've never even heard of have its own category of competition at my county's fair? Are there really that many people in the county making grape pies on a regular basis? If so, why have I never met them? Is there anywhere in the county that one can purchase a grape pie?
Anyways. With contributions of concord grapes from friends and strangers, I finally got enough for a pie. I used a recipe from Retro Pies: A Collection of Celebrated Family Recipes by Linda Everett (a fabulous cookbook that Miss Julie gave me). It was way less tedious to make than I thought it would be because you get to pop the grapes out of their skins, which is very satisfying. I include pictures of the separated pulps and skins. After heating and straining the pulps, you reintegrate the two parts, add a few other ingredients and pour into the 
shell. I opted for a crumb top rather than a double pastry crust, because I didn't want it to taste like grape jam on white bread. I've hesitated to make this pie because I worry that it is going to be too grapey; it certainly smells like jam. But why else does the pie odyssey exist, if not to make even the most seemingly repulsive of pies? I suspect that after eating this, I may only want to make toned-down versions in future. Like perhaps a grapes balanced by something creamy or cheesy, or perhaps paired with a really tart fruit, like gooseberries, or dare I suggest it, rhubarb...
