How to Make an Old Fashioned Raisin Pie

Old fashioned raisin pie dates back to the 1800s.

While raisin pie might not have been around as long as raisins themselves, some raisin pie recipes date to the 1800s. A tasty and iron-rich culinary creation, it is generally served as a double crusted pie, often with a lattice top to showcase the rich juices. While there are countless variations ranging from sour cream raisin to maple crunch, this old fashioned recipe dating from the early 1930s has a secret ingredient that brings out the flavor of the raisins themselves.

Things You'll Need

• 10 inch unbaked double crust
• 4 cups raisins
• Water
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup sorghum molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter

Instructions

1. Measure 4 cups of seedless raisins into a 2 quart saucepan. Add water to cover 1 inch above the raisins. Bring these to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes to soften the raisins.

2. Add 1 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup sorghum molasses. This is not the strong-tasting black-strap molasses usually stocked in stores. Sorghum molasses is made from the juice of sorghum cane and has a distinctive mild flavor. This "secret ingredient" enhances rather than masks the true raisin flavor. Stir the sugar and sorghum into the hot raisins.

3. Mix 5 tablespoons of corn starch with 1/4 cup cold water. Pour into the raisin mixture, stirring well as you do so to prevent lumping as the cornstarch cooks. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture thickens somewhat. It will finish cooking as the crust bakes.

4. Remove the filling from the heat and add 1/3 cup butter. Stir the butter in until melted. Pour the raisin pie filling into an unbaked 10 inch crust. Finish with a solid or lattice-style top crust and crimp the edges to seal them.

5. Bake your raisin pie at 350 degrees until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles throughout. Removed the pie from the oven and cool on a heatproof surface. Raisin pie will keep up to three days without refrigeration or loss of flavor.

Tips & Warnings

• Sorghum molasses is often available through suppliers.

• For a 9 inch pie, cut the ingredients by a third.

• Place a round baking sheet under your raisin pie to catch any drips.

• Refrigerate raisin pies that contain eggs or milk, as they will not keep like this old fashioned recipe

References

• History of Funeral Pie, Raisin Pie, Rosina Pie
• Raisin Pie Recipe
• HISTORY
• California Raisins CelebrateAmerica's Pie Heritage in Support of National Pie Contest
• Sorghum Syryp

Resources

• how2heroes . Pie Crust 101
• California Raisins - The Wise Choice
• MaasdamSorghumMills
• Purchase Sorghum