Cranberry sauce and apple pie questions

[LavenderLily]

I've been making my cranberry sauce from scratch for the last few years, and I just can't get it to gel. It doesn't matter how long I boil it, it just refuses to gel. The only thing I can think of is that I use orange extract instead of orange zest, could that be affecting it? I can't imagine why it would, but I know very little about food chemistry and it's the only part of the recipe that I change. (I use the basic recipe that was in Bon Appetit a couple of years ago.)

I've seen some suggestions to add gelatin, but would that really work? I mean, I'm trying to achieve a texture that's as close to the canned stuff as possible, which seems more like a preserve or a jam than a gelatin if you ask me. My gut is telling me to add powdered pectin, but I can't find a single recipe on the internet that does this. Does anyone know how or if this would work?

On a somewhat related note, I have yet to bake one single apple pie that sets up properly. (I have attempted Tyler Florence's "Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie" about 5 or 6 times now.) I think I am just pectin-challenged. Any tips? Or just a better recipe I should try?

TIA!!

 

[quicksilver]

I'll say that I don't know your recipe so I can't say what you are doing right or wrong. I follow the directions on the back of the bag of Oceanspray fresh cranberries and have never had a problem.
Any additions of other liquids to the water, just subtract that amount of water. Adding minimal zest or extract shouldn't make that much difference if you account for the additions though.

As for pie...I'll leave that to the expert pie people of which I'm am not even close! LOL!

 

[Jeff G.]

As to apple pie.. I always use cornstarch as a thickener. It works great, hasn't failed yet.

 

[MaryE]

Hi!

The amount of sugar in your cranberry sauce can greatly effect how much it gels. Cranberries are packed full of pectin, but pectin needs both sugar and acid to gel. This is why cranberry sauces made with artificial sweeteners don't gel too well.

So, the proportion of sugar, water and cranberries in your sauce is pretty important. A good proporton for basic cranberry sauce is 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar for 1 12-oz bag of cranberries. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries and simmer until they pop open, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl. It will thicken as it cools.

Good luck!

 

[Andy M.]

Hi!

The amount of sugar in your cranberry sauce can greatly effect how much it gels. Cranberries are packed full of pectin, but pectin needs both sugar and acid to gel. This is why cranberry sauces made with artificial sweeteners don't gel too well.

So, the proportion of sugar, water and cranberries in your sauce is pretty important. A good proporton for basic cranberry sauce is 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar for 1 12-oz bag of cranberries. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the cranberries and simmer until they pop open, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl. It will thicken as it cools.

Good luck!

I use a similar recipe but I sub a cup of OJ for the water and use half the sugar. Gels thick and firm all the time.

 

[PieSusan]

I always use flour in my apple pie. Maida Heatter has written that she is never bothered by a soupier pie so I would not worry about it. Serve it in a soup bowl with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream and or whipped cream and everyone will love you.

If you can get a hold of a copy of Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts, my favorite apple pie recipe hands down is there. It is "Apple Pie U.S.A." I have made some slight changes that I can tell you about once you can find a copy of the recipe, if you are interested.