Email to Stella      

James K. Polk's Vinegar Pie

Source of Recipe

posted by billk54 at recipe circus


Recipe Introduction

This pie is as Southern as apple pie is American. The recipe was concocted years ago by country cooks, who rarely had fancy store-bought seasonings or "exotic" fruits (such as lemons, which were rarely available). These cooks had to make do with what was on hand in the farm kitchen. Homemade apple cider vinegar, brewed up from apple peels and cores, fresh rainwater, and a touch of honey or molasses was always available and bottled lemon extract was used instead of fresh lemons. The lemon extract actually produces a better-tasting pie than does fresh lemon juice in this Southern pie.

List of Ingredients


1 pie crust (9 inch)
1 cup water
1/4 cup flour, all-purpose
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten until frothy
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon extract



Recipe


Roll out pastry, fit into a 9-inch pie pan and prick bottom all over with a fork. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully line bottom and sides of crust with foil, then fill with dried beans or rice. Bake in preheated oven 25 to 30 minutes. Remove foil and beans carefully and return crust to oven. Continue to bake until bottom of crust is browned (about 7 or 8 minutes longer). Remove from oven. Cool baked pastry shell completely.


In a heavy 2 qt saucepan, bring water to a boil. In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar, tossing with a fork to blend. Add flour-sugar mixture to boiling water and cook, whisking often, until thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and slowly add egg, whisking vigorously. Return to medium low heat and cook, whisking, until smooth and velvety (about 2 minutes). Add vinegar and lemon extract and whisk just to blend.

Turn out into cooled pastry shell and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours).