Pie with frozen fruit

[spikel20]

Hi,

I was wondering if some cooking expert could tell me if it's possible to make a berry pie with frozen fruit. I live in Michigan, so it's very expensive to make a berry pie with fresh fruit in the winter when they're out of season. I was wanting to make a raspberry pie using frozen raspberries or strawberries.

My fear is that it will get too soggy and ruin the crust. If the fruit is thawed first, how much do I use and do I drain it first? Any tips? I couldn't find any answers on the internet.

Thanks!

[Michael in FtW]

As for can you use frozen fruit/berries to make pies - sure. How they are packed depends on if you treat them like fresh (fruit/berries without juice) or canned (packed in juice).

You might get all the other answers you need by reading this information on pies from baking911.com.

[Bilby]

Welcome to DC!! I would defrost and then drain the fruit but be careful that you don't crush the berries too much. A pie with whole berries looks better.

[Ol-blue]

Thawed frozen berries will always be softer and juicier than fresh berries. When I freeze my raspberries I place them on a cookie sheet and freeze them. Once frozen I put them into bags and place back in the freezer.

To make a pie, I take out amount needed and only let them thaw for about 10 to 15 minutes and then make pie according to recipe direction. I find frozen Raspberries and Blackberries, Boysenberries, etc all make great pies. There is no real extra juice to deal with this method. If there is, just add a little more flour or tapioca or drain off any juice. I do Pie Cherries this way also.

[AMSeccia]

I am originally from Michigan ... we used to use frozen local berries all the time for pie. Boy do I miss those goodies. We would partially thaw in colander, be sure to drain off any juice, and be sure to add a bit more thickener to your filling, just in case. We would also brush the crust with eggwhite before par-baking it prior to filling.

p.s. Favorite filling was cherry/blueberry/peach -- YUM.

[spikel20]

Thanks everyone, for your suggestions! I think I'm ready to give it a shot :)