Fruit Pies

Save the drained juice from frozen or canned fruit and use fruit juice instead of water in your recipe. This is only a good idea if the juice does not have a lot of sugar in it.

Add fresh butter to your fruit pie filling after it has been cooked. Or dot pieces of butter over the fruit before you place on the top crust.

Don't cut apples pieces too thin when you are using fresh apples. Larger chunks will hold together and have more apple flavor.

Use a little red food color and a drop or two of almond extract in your cherry pies when you use fresh or canned cherries.

Use a little yellow food color and a teaspoon of lemon juice in your apricot and peach fruit pies.

The lemon juice will enhance their flavor and also help keep a bright color.

Mix a few raisins with fresh chopped apples and make a easy, new apple pie.

Do not over-cook pie fillings, especially those with corn starch used as the thickener. The filling will break down and quickly become watery. Over cooking fillings made with flour will cause the filling to be thick.