Things You'll Need:
- 5 1/2 cups concord grapes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 Tbl. tapioca
- Food mill or colander
- Pastry for a double-crust pie
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Step 1
PICK OR BUY CONCORD GRAPES -- I grow my own grapes, but you can usually find Concord grapes at the grocery store in the Fall. You'll need about 5-6 lbs. grapes to make one pie. Concord is the traditional grape used for Grape Pie, but you can substitute others, like Worden or Delaware grapes.
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Step 2
WASH AND SQUEEZE GRAPES -- Rinse the grapes, then squeeze out the pulp into a bowl, reserving the skins in a separate bowl.
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Step 3
COOK THE PULP -- Boil the pulp for about 5 minutes to loosen the seeds.
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Step 4
SEPARATE SEEDS FROM PULP -- Using a colander or food mill, separate and discard the seeds from the cooked pulp.
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Step 5
ADD SKINS TO PULP -- Now combine the hot pulp with the reserved skins. You should have about 5 1/2 cups. The exact quantity is not important as long as it fills the pie adequately. Let this mixture set for at least 5 hours, or overnight. This step will soften the skins and color the pulp.
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Step 6
MIX IN SUGAR AND TAPIOCA -- Mix in the 1 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon tapioca. I bought 'pearl' tapioca, but I crushed it into a semi-powder before adding it. I think "instant" tapioca would work better.
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Step 7
POUR MIXTURE INTO PIE SHELL -- Pour the mixture into an uncooked pie shell. Cover the pie with a top crust, or you can also use a 'floating' top crust with just a circle of dough that does not cover the whole top.
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Step 8
SEAL EDGES AND PIERCE TOP CRUST -- Flute the edges of the pie like this, and pierce the top crust to allow steam to escape.
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Step 9
DECORATE AND/OR GLAZE TOP CRUST -- For this pie, I brushed the top crust with milk and sprinkled on some demerara (raw cane) sugar.
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Step 10
BAKE PIE AND LET COOL -- Bake the pie at 400F for 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. It is important to cook the pie long enough for the tapioca to dissolve. Let cool completely to allow the filling to thicken. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
