I’m always talking about how healthy and good herbs are, but I have not mentioned how delicious they are when making pies. I know how good they are in teas but never really thought of pies. I guess we learn as we go, well that is me.
I have a friend that makes the best pies and that is why I said I never thought of pies. I used to love to bake cakes or muffins or sometimes apple pie but that was about it.
My first husband didn’t like sweets so I didn’t bake much. Second husband could cook but didn’t like sweets that much either. My two boys loved it when I would bake a cake, but when I took a cake decorating class and had to make lots of cakes they got burned out on cake.
So I stopped baking all together, mainly because I was gaining all the weight from tasting my cakes.
Now that I explained that, lets get to fruit and herb pies.
I have never really put any thought into what makes up the tastiness of pies until I tasted my friends pie.
I have bought pies at grocery stores, in a bakery or a frozen pie you bake at home yourself. But once you make your own homemade pie, its like, what was I thinking? Throwing my money away on junk pies when I could be feasting on these more healthier pies with no added preservatives, made with love and full of flavor.
I had to stop and think very carefully about what would taste good with the following herb combinations, like sage or Rosemary. But also how much herb to use, so it does not taste like soap or a stew. Note you are safer adding less than more when it comes to your herbal spices.
Always taste before you add it to the pie crust.
Depending on what you are making, if making berries five to six cups is used.
As for the herb you well use one teaspoon or one tablespoon depending on the herb you use.
Some herbs may be more over powering then others, so taste it as you go.
It is easier to add than to take some out once its mixed.
You can also mix a bit of the fresh herbs in the pie crust. Make sure you chop them up fine and mix in the flour and continue to make the crust.
Before you add the herb to the fruit it is best to make a small sample and wait twenty minutes and then taste. If it tastes good, then continue. If it doesn’t, then you saved the rest of the ingredients for another herb.
I did this in the beginning, so I wouldn’t feel bad if it tasted like soap or mouth wash. At least it wouldn’t be a total loss and I would be the only one who tasted the failed pie.
Nothing worse then seeing the faces of people eating your pie and wanting to spit it out quick before they gag.