Variety is the spice of life, even in the world of apples.
“We have varieties you will not find at any other orchard on the Island,” says Jennifer Halsey-Dupree, a 12th-generation farmer and pomologist of her family’s Water Mill U-Pick apple orchard, located off the shores of Mecox Bay. While many choices are easily recognizable along the meandering row of fruit-bearing trees, the eye-catching large hybrids with unusual names are most intriguing. One can only wonder which type to bake in a fall classic apple pie.
With the onset of shorter, brisk days, apple varieties also shift with the weather, inspiring a return to the kitchen after a day of picking. “With apples, I like to think we have three different seasons,” explains Halsey-Dupree. “We have the summer apples and then move into the general fall varietals like McIntosh and Empire, followed by my later varieties that take us through the winter: Fuji, Braeburn, and Goldrush.”
With a nod to her grandmother’s recipe, both the Milk Pail Fresh Market (which she co-owns with her sister Amy) and the U-Pick Orchard sell homemade apple pies made with a combination of early fall and not run-of-the-mill fruits, Jonagold (a hybrid of Golden Delicious and Jonathan) and Mutsu, a Golden Delicious crossed with Indo, a Japanese seedling. “Both the Jonagold and the Mutsu have a nice consistency,” reiterates Halsey-Dupree, “they are not too soft, so they melt in the pie, but not too hard that they’re crunchy,” she continues. “I think the Golden Delicious helps with that.”
What may be most striking about the Mutsu apple is its size, which is staked and tied throughout the orchard row to prevent branch breakage from the weight of the fruit clusters. “And they’re green,” Halsey-Dupree points out, “so everybody immediately thinks Granny Smith tart, sour. But no, they’re delicious. Plus, you only have to peel like five of them for a pie because they’re huge.”
While baking purists may turn up their noses to using store-bought pie shells or pie crust as suggested in this family recipe, the filling ultimately matters. The warm smell of apples you hand-picked, peeled, and cored baking in the oven will not warrant criticism. A tip from Halsey-Dupree on the most daunting task when preparing the pie filling? “When peeling and coring the apples, take your time,” she advises. “I’m always flying through them and waste half the apple if I peel too fast.”
Slow and easy is always a good tip. Grab some pals and experience this u-pick out-east tradition that runs throughout October (Fridays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). Don’t forget the homemade cider that always mixes well with a nice bourbon and ginger beer. A perfect pairing with dessert around the fire pit!
Milk Pail Orchard apple pie
Ingredients
For the pie filling:
- 4 to 5 large apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced, about 4 to 5 cups
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugr
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 pinch of salt
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp water
- 1 sprinkle of granulated sugar
For the pie crust:
- 2 9-inch store-bought pie crusts
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Place baking a baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven.
- Line the pie pan with one crust. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until the apple filling is ready. Wrap the other crust in plastic wrap and chill.
- Place the apple slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, light brown sugar and granulated white sugar into a large mixing bowl. Mix well to coat all apples.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, pour over filling and mix well.
- Pour the apple filling into the chilled pie crust lined pan.
- Gently place the top crust on top. Seal around the edge. If needed, use kitchen shears to trim the overhang to one inch around (extra dough can be used to make a decorative leaf on top). Crimp edges. Using a sharp knife, make 5 or 6, 2-inch slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge to allow for steam to be released as the pie bakes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Place the pie on the heated baking sheet on the lower third of the oven.
- Bake for about 50 minutes. The pie is done when the top is golden brown and the juices bubble through the steam slits. If it looks like the edges or top of the pie is browning too fast, cover with aluminum foil.
- Place the pie on a wire rack to cool. For optimal results, let the pie cool for at least 4 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
