Tapioca, definitely, for all friut pies.
Rusty

Clare, I usually use cornstarch with berries and when using them frozen, I'll add a a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to an extra 1/4C of sugar and sprinkle that on the pie crust before I add my berries. That's in addition to what you toss the berries in before putting them in the crust. That extra on the bottom will take care of the runnies...

Nancy

Rusty - I think I have used tapioca in the past, but am out of it and no time to run to the store.

Nancy- I will try that trick of the sugar/corn starch on the bottom. I hate runny pies.

Thanks.
Clare

If you don't want runny pies - drain the fruit reserving the liquid - then cook down the liquid some on the stove, concentrating the flavor, thickening it and then add how much thickener you still need - remember its going to thicken while it bakes too - sort of a educated guessing game on how much to reduce

Nancy: Did you ever add the ingredients, sugar , etc.
then simmer them a little and then add the Cornstarch in water for thickning,
before it is put into the pie shell ?????

In the army, When we made a 24"x18" Peach Pie,

I would cook the Peaches a while, with all the ingredients added,
until they started to get a little tender.
Then thicken a little with Cornstarch mixed in water.
It was dumped into the pie shell for baking.
Lou

LOU

Lou, I do that when I make cherry pie sometimes.
I think when you are using more fragile fruits, like berries you have to be really careful or you run the risk of losing texture. Would work well with peaches though...

Nancy

Actually with either fresh or frozen berries I do half and half. I cook half on the stove with corn starch (or instant tapioca) and sugar till jelly like then add the other half of the fruit to the mix after it cools then bake.
Clare

You may want to considered using Clear Jel in the future. The link below has more information about the different types of thickeners in pies. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Baking 911 - Pies & Tarts

Nancy:
That's why I said to simmer " a little " to thicken it.

After the Peach Pie in the Army, I had to make an Apple Pie

Sooooo!!! I started to cook the Apples, Like I did the Peaches.
A little while later a Light Bulb lit up in my Brain,
This is how we make AppleSauce.

When the Mess Sargent saw the strips of Dough across the top, instead of a solid Pie Crust,
he said what the h**l is this ???
I just replied "Apple Sauce Pie, you know, Pa. Dutch Style"

Clare:
That way sounds good !!!
Lou

Clare --

Hope its not too late to post this, but had to chime in. My husband and I pick and freeze about 100 pounds of blueberries and 25 pounds of raspberries each year to make dozens of pies all winter long... We have tried many variations but here's what we've found works the best...

1 -- mostly thaw the berries -- note that we really load the berries up in the pie plate till they are mounded high.
2 -- For thickener we use 2.5 Tbs of flour and 2.5 Tbs of cornstarch
3 -- 2/3 cup of sugar for a blueberry or a blueberry raspberry pie
4 -- mix flour, cornstarch, and sugar together first before adding to the berries.
5 -- bake the pie on the bottom rack in the oven, which helps the bottom crust cook and not come out soggy...

We've really found the mix of flour and cornstarch gives us a great consistency -- slices when cool, but not gummy at all...

Emily

Emily ,
By Jove !!! you have done it
You win my Gold Star !
Lou

I always use flour for pies. I don't like the consistency of cornstarch and I really, really don't like the consistency of Clear Jel. I don't like that "gelatinous goo" in commercial pie fillings and that's what Clear Jel reminds me of.

Like Emily, I mix the sugar and flour together, add the berries, toss it together well and put it into the pie crust. Grandma always added pats of butter, so I do too, for no other reason than Grandma did. Add top crust and bake.

Peaches I like to cook a bit in the sugar and flour and then pour into the pie shell. Rhubarb gets treated like berries, as do apples.

Annie

I have used the instant Tapioca in the past... and the recipe said that it needed to be ground fine in the food processor. I attempted to do that, but it was still not powdery enough... had some larger granules in it.

When you use Tapioca... how do you use it?

Flour in my fruit pies too...
I mix the flour with the sugar....like Annie does....and also pate of butter....everything's better with butter
I never cook it first....even for peaches.
Linda C

I should have made a cobbler!!! It came out super juicy in spite of the corn starch and flour and cooking 1/2 of it till jelled. Tastes good though. Maybe I will scrape out the filling, throw away the crust and a make a cobbler tomorrow.
Clare

Clare, what is the difference, in your mind, between a cobbler & a pie? In other words, why throw away your crust & use the same fruit to make a cobbler?

starlightfarm, I use tapioca, but I can't describe in writing how to use it. In other words, I have no recipe. I mix it and however much sugar I think the fruit I am using needs, together, and toss it with the fruit, then dump it in the pie shell. If it is something very juicy, I might sprinkle just a tad in the bottom of the crust first, & sometimes, maybe, a tad over the top of the fruit.
I've even been known to add more juice to fruit pies, such as some cider to an apple pie, etc.
Not much help, am I. :>(
Rusty

Rusty - The difference is consistency. A pie should be solid so that when you cut it you get a nice slice. Cobbler can be a little more loose because you scoop it out. Also if a pie is too juicy and all the filling flow out, there is nothing between the crusts. (That is what happened to mine.) Plus the bottom crust turns into this paste like gunk. Yuck!

In regards to how much instant tapioca to add, I usually substitute for cornstarch or flour so add the same amount as called for in the recipe. Here is an interesting article on thickeners that I just found.
Clare

Here is a link that might be useful: Thickeners

Clare, just a thought here. Are you sure that your pie was fully baked? I always look at the center of a pie to see that the juices are bubbling. No matter how much thickener you use, it needs to come to a boil. I've made my share of runny pies and usually it's because I was in a hurry and didn't bake the pie long enough. I make sure I have one cut of my vent right in the middle of the pie so I can see what is going on easy.
Also, use recipe times only as a guide, the temp of the filling can make a big difference in the overall timing.

Nancy

Annie 1992:
A little trick I tried with Peach Pie.
Throw a few peaches in the blender, make a puree and
mix it in with the Peaches and Juices,
before you simmer them .

I'm outa here for a week. Heading South.
LOU
PS: I heard that Sigh of Relief

Nancy - It was bubbling out the the top vent and around the sides. I even let it cook for 5 minutes longer to make sure. I had also cooked 1/2 of it to jelled stage to make sure it was set.

I have since scouped it out and put it in a pyrex pan in the microwave to thicken it for cobbler. I even added more sugar and corn starch. I have cooked it for over 20 minutes and it refuses to set. I don't what is wrong but it is staying berry soup! I give up.

Clare

Clare, never give up! I'd just plop some sweetened biscuit dough on top of it and put it back in the oven. That's what we called cobbler, it wasn't even close to pie pastry. That way you scoop out a piece of the fluffy biscuit and just spoon the runny fruit over the top and it's all good, especially with ice cream.

Annie

I think if you over cook corn starch, it never does thicken. It will just become runny.

It made a better cobbler then pie and finally jelled.
Clare