What could be more American than apple pie?
Actually, it’s not that American, according to a Smithsonian article that explains how apples were brought to America with the Jamestown colonists. And a form of apple pie was introduced in Europe way back in the 1300s.
But thanks to John Chapman aka Johnny Appleseed and World War II soldiers saying they were fighting for mom and apple pie, it helped seal the deal, making apple pie an American institution.
So many apples, so little time
Today, there are thousands of apple varieties. According to one article, there are 2500 grown in the U.S., and out of those, 100 types are grown for commercial sale. Globally, there are 7500 varieties!
But even more interesting to me was something I read about a more modern-day “Johnny Appleseed.” His name is John Bunker and he’s well-known in the apple community. He’s helping to save many heritage apples from extinction while educating about better agricultural practices.
Apple Pie Apples
All this apple information increases my appreciation for this healthy fruit! And I’m now craving a juicy organic MacIntosh, (my favorite).
And if you have an opportunity to go apple picking, you should! Because there’s nothing like pulling an apple, in full bloom, directly off the tree and tasting the freshness straight from the source!
But if you find you’ve picked far more than you could eat out of hand, it’s time to make a pie!
So, when choosing the best pie apples, a NewEngland article believes the following apples make the best pie:
- Granny Smith
- Esopus Spitzenburg
- Northern Spy
- Idared
- Pink Pearl
- Ginger Gold
- Golden Delicious
- Jazz
- Jonagold
- Pink Lady
I am in Camp MacIntosh, and always add a few into my pies with some of the other more firm varieties above. But I’ve had a lot of trouble finding them in recent years though. So is there a MacIntosh shortage?
My #1 rule when selecting apples
I always buy organic.
Because with apples ranking near the top of the EWG ‘Dirty Dozen” list, year after year, the pesticides are a deal breaker. And I will not buy them. It’s a perfectly healthy food covered in chemicals. So, No thank you.
And yes, organics cost more, but I believe it’s worth it. So I support organic farmers and I’m very grateful they are out there, doing the right thing.
Time to make the apple pie!
This recipe is one of the first desserts I ever made. And I still have the original recipe, ripped from a magazine. It was a Family periodical from the early 80s. With the faded paper and stains, from years of use, it’s become part of my treasures.
Thankfully, it was easily veganizable! So just swap the butter and milk for vegan versions. And after trying other recipes through the years, I always come back to this one. Because it’s a keeper.
Finally, it’s good for, not only Americans but for everyone. So it’s really as worldly as apple pie! But “as American as apple pie” still sounds right to me, too. 🙂 And coming from a place known as the Big Apple, maybe “as New York as apple pie” works too!!
Also, try some of our other pies!
American Apple Pie
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of organic apples ( about 7 cups) such as a mix of Gala, Granny Smith, and MacIntosh
- 2 vegan pie crusts
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon cold vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon coarse sugar or granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425*F. Line a pie plate with one pie crust.
- Mix sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Peel, core, and chop apples into chunks. Place into a large bowl. Add sugar mixture and toss to coat apples.
- Spread apples into pie crust, mounding in the center.
- Grate cold butter over apples.
- Cover with 2nd crust, crimping both crusts together to seal, (or press together with a fork).
- Brush the top of the crust with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Cut about 6 one-inch slits in the top of the crust to vent steam.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350*F and bake another 25-30 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.