This week was completely meant to be a redo of the strawberry pie. But after running errands, dodging thunderstorms, I was running late to the farm. Pre-picked strawberries were 86’d, but… They had the first cherries of the season. Strawberries can wait another week. That’s what seasonality’s about, right?

Lessons applied from the strawberry pie? Use instant tapioca. Crimp your crust after placing the lattice on top. And have patience waiting for the center to bubble.

I’ll call this a success. Laying the lattice on top, then incorporating the ends into the final crimp helps clean the edge up. And the instant tapioca performed beautifully—it thickened the juices nicely and left them crystal clear. I personally prefer a slightly syrupy pie. Taking the first slice out and having thick juices run is not a fault in my book. And to quote my SO, "Honey, this is the best pie crust you've made so far."

The crust browned to a rich brown. It did not burn. The flavor of browned butter and toasted flour was perfect. The bottom crust baked thoroughly, standing up to the juices, and had a nice snap. And just look at the colors! Dark ruby red, golden lattice, and dark brown edge. Really, don’t be afraid to push your crust onto the dark side. Pale crust is flavorless.

Later in the day, taking more slices out, the filling had set even more, giving that classic pie piece look.

Room for improvement? More work on lattices tops. Trying a cooked cherry filling.