So, I had to write a 3 page essay on apple pie, why it’s the most American pie, and such like that. This took (squints from the sandlot voice) for-ev-or. I swear. Now I need someone to make me one. Anyways, it might have some typos, and it might be a bit ramble-y, but so what.
The crust wasn’t always so flaky. It wasn’t always so sweet, crumbly, or rich. Originally, apples pies didn’t contain sugar, and the coffin bit (aka the pastry) wasn’t meant to be eaten. They used the crust to encase the filling so they could store it or transport it easily.
One of the first recorded apple pie recipes is from the cookbook The Forme of Cury (which means the form of cooking), written by Samuel Pegge around 1390 A.D. The recipe was titled For to make Tartys in Applis, part XXIII. It goes:Tak gode Applys and gode Spryeis and Figys and reyfons and Perys and wan they are wel ybrayed co-lourd wyth Safron wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake well, and as I hope you noticed it is written in Old English, so it’s a tad difficult to understand, and it’s very simple.
Now let’s look at the history of apple pie. In 1545, sugar is more readily available, and the coffins are meant to be eaten. In 1590, Robert Green wrote in his prose (full & grammatically correct sentences, rather than rhythmic and rhyming lines as in traditional poetry) Arcadia, that “They breath is like the steame of apple-pyes,” as he couldn’t think of a greater compliment to describe a beautiful woman.
When the colonists arrived, the only apples to be found were crab apples. Gross, sour crab apples. But praise Jesus, hallelujah, they brought with them tastier varieties of apple. One fact not widely known is that the orchards planted by the colonists didn’t do all that well, as there weren’t honey bees. Bees were shipped from England to the Virginian colony in 1622, and more to Massachusetts around 1630. By the 1640’s, the majority of landowners grew orchards on their property.
One of the most famous apple stories includes a man named John Chapmen. Better known as Johnny Appleseed, this odd man walked the land planting apple seeds. He thought his purpose in life was to heavily plant the country with seeds, so many that when the trees were grown no one would go hungry as there would be such an abundance of apples. It’s estimated that he traveled some 10,000 square miles over 40 years. Also, historians believe that him wearing his pot upon his head is just a legend, as the majority of pots then were handmade of copper or iron, and would be an uncomfortable burden.
Here is an example of an apple pie recipe:
2 9-INCH CRUSTS
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup lard
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in lard with pastry blender until small pea-sized particles are obtained. Mix water and vinegar, then sprinkle onto flour mixture. Mix with fork until flour is moist. Press into a ball and turn out onto a floured board. If making a two-crust pie, divide in half.
Roll out with rolling pin. Try not to use too much extra flour because it makes the crust tough. Roll out to desired size—usually about 1 inch bigger around than the pie tin. Fold pastry in half and move to pan. Unfold and put pastry into pan. Try not to stretch the pastry because this causes shrinking in baking.
Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Chill the pastry.
FILLING AND APPLE PIE
3 pounds apples (preferably Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon rosewater
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pour the lemon juice into the bottom of a large bowl. Add the lemon zest to the bowl. Peel, halve and core the apples, taking care to remove seeds. Slice them evenly and add to the bowl, coating them with the lemon juice as you go.
In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and spices. Add them to the apples and mix gently just before baking the pie. Adjust sugar to taste.
Scrape the filling into the bottom crust. Add a lattice top if desired. Trim and crimp the crust, then chill the pie for about 10 minutes in the refrigerator. If desired, sprinkle with sugar or brush the top with egg wash to create a golden sheen when it bakes.
Bake the pie on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until the crust looks dry, blistered and blonde. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake for at least 45 minutes more or until the crust is golden brown. Visible juices should bubble slowly through the top crust. Check to see if the bottom crust has darkened. If not, bake a little more and cover the top crust to prevent burning.
Cool the pie before cutting. Store uncovered in a cool place for up to 3 days.
Ian Knauer, author and host of Hungry History on history.com, used this recipe in one of his videos. Here’s the link: http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/as-american-as-apple-pie-video
“As American as apple pie.” Such a well known phrase, but do any of us really know where it originated? Firstly, apples aren’t even truly American. They aren’t native to America, but were brought here by the English. Malus sieversii is a wild apple native to Asia, thought to be the true ancestor of the modern-day apple. These dwarf trees aren’t very valuable in terms of producing large amounts of fruit or being ornamental, but they hold a very important place in history as they practically gave birth to that apple sitting on your kitchen counter.
Alexander the Great is said to have found this dwarf apple, bringing it back to Macedonia in 328 BC, but fossil evidence shows apples as far back as the Iron & Stone Ages in Switzerland. It’s believed that the Romans brought apples to England, and the English brought them to America.
A 1902 newspaper article stated that “No pie-eating people can be permanently vanquished.” American soldiers, when asked what they fought for, replied “For America, for mom, and for apple pie.” Quotes like these anchored apple pie into American history, making it “As American as apple pie.”
If you were to ask someone what the most American dessert is, I bet you 20 bucks they’d say apple pie. They’d be right, too. Apple pie is such a well-known staple in our culture, it’s hard to imagine it not existing. Apples kept many out of starvation’s grasp, kept many healthy, and kept many happy. Johnny Appleseed planted the trees to keep people from going hungry. Apples naturally clean teeth and massage gums, and are wonderful for dieting as they fill you up and digest easily. And they keep people happy by being in those delicious pies so many enjoy on July 4th , Thanksgiving, Christmas, and whenever they feel the urge.
_ByeNow_
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