Eric Brown, an employee at Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant and Bakery for eleven years, asked his mother for his favorite grape pie recipe and she graciously offered it to us—for all true pie lovers and bakers are generous in spirit and love to share recipes. When Mildred Rowe was a child, she often picked wild grapes, which used to grow plentifully in the Appalachians. “Mother told us how they fought the wild turkeys for the grapes,” says Mike DiGrassie. This recipe calls for Concord grapes since many of us don’t live near a wild grape patch. It’s one of the few grape pie recipes that doesn’t require peeling the grapes.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch pie

　　1/2 recipe Plain Pie Pastry (page 17) or Vinegar Pie Crust (page 19), prebaked

　　4 cups fresh Concord grapes, washed and stems removed

　　2 cups water

　　1 cup sugar

　　1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch

　　Sweetened Whipped Cream (page 26), for topping

　　

Step 1

Combine the grapes and water in a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the fruit is very soft and the liquid is dark, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Strain the juice into a bowl, pressing the grapes with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Let the juice cool until lukewarm, then pour it back into the saucepan and place over high heat.

　　

Step 3

Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together, then pour the mixture into the grape juice and whisk until thoroughly combined. Bring to a boil and continue whisking frequently until thickened. Boil for at least 1 full minute to reduce the cornstarch taste. The mixture should be smooth and very thick.

　　

Step 4

Pour the filling into the crust and chill for 2 to 3 hours before slicing. Serve topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

　　Mrs. Rowe's Little Book of Southern Pies