Concord Grape Pie
September 25, 2012 at 2:30 pm | Posted in pies & tarts, sweet things | 16 CommentsTags: baking, fruit, pie
Last Saturday, my CSA workshift rolled around (cuz you know, apparently CSAs are socialist). To tell the truth, I was kind of dreading standing there for three hours early on a weekend morning, but as it turned out, the weather was great and I got the job I wsa hoping for. I got to weigh out the coveted concord grapes that were last week’s fruit share. Actually I got to dole out both grapes and advice. Pretty much everyone who came through asked what to do with them. How about eat them…juice them…jam them…pie them?!?! Being the grape mistress also meant I got first dibs on leftovers when we cleaned up. I took home a few extra stems…enough in total to make both concord grape jam and a little pie of my own.
Concord grapes are like the grapiest grapes there are. They’re the grapes that “grape-flavored” things imitate. And they are the most dreamy shade of purpley blue. When I recommended to my fellow CSA-ers that they make a pie, most of them looked at me like I had two heads. I guess a grape pie does sound a little weird, but it is so, so delicious. Jammy and sweet and purple.
Now that I’ve talked up these grapes, here’s the bad news. They have seeds. Hard seeds that are unpleasant to eat, and IMO must be removed. Making a pie from them is a labor of love, but I’m willing to put in the time to de-seed. I don’t mind so much turning on the radio and zoning out with a little kitchen prep. Anyway, it is a once a year treat, and the time spent makes every bite taste that much better.
Concord Grape Pie– makes a 9-inch pie
heavily adapted from a recipe in Bon Appétit (September 2008)
Steph’s Note: If concords aren’t available where you live, or you’d like a more year-round, less labor-intensive alternative, see the original recipe (which uses seedless red grapes).
8 cups stemmed concord grapes (about 2 1/2 pounds), rinsed well and patted dry
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
squeeze of lemon juice
double-crust recipe of your favorite flaky pastry dough (I used Dorie’s), divided into two disks and well-chilled
1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
1 T turbinado or granulated sugar
-Slice grapes in half and remove the seeds. Transfer grapes (and their skins, which tend to easily slip off–don’t worry about it) to large sieve set over large bowl. Drain off grape liquid, saving 2 tablespoons.
-Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt in another large bowl to blend. Mix in drained grapes, reserved juice and squeeze of lemon juice.
-Preheat your oven to 375°F. Roll out one disk of dough on floured surface to a 13-inch round; transfer to pie dish. Brush dough edge with egg glaze. Fill with grape mixture. Roll out the second disk of dough to a 12-inch round. Top pie with dough; trim overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll edge under and crimp. Brush top of pie with glaze; sprinkle with raw sugar. Cut several slits in top crust to allow steam to escape. Chill the pie until your oven is fully heated.
-Bake pie until golden and juices bubble thickly, 60 to 70 minutes, slipping a baking sheet under the pie plate at the halfway point. Cool the pie on a rack to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. You should think about having vanilla ice cream on hand.
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a whisk and a spoon 
Yummie! To die 4!
Comment by interiorstockholm— September 25, 2012 #
Definitely bookmarking this recipe. That pie looks fantastic!
Comment by sweetalchemy— September 25, 2012 #
YUM!!!!!
Comment by YUM2THREE— September 25, 2012 #
Wow! Cannot imagine having to remove the grape seeds! Looks delicious.
Comment by bakedbyiris— September 25, 2012 #
Grape pie! Fantastic idea.
Comment by yummychunklet— September 25, 2012 #
Oh I’m definitely making this when I get to Portugal. We’ll have too many grapes for just eating and making wine. Thanks for sharing!
Comment by Diana— September 25, 2012 #
Thank goodness for this recipe! There are SO many concords in my backyard right now! I’m so happy to have a recipe that I can use them for! Thank you thank you!
Comment by savannahmius— September 25, 2012 #
You are so lucky!!
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— September 26, 2012 #
Looks amazing!
Comment by yablogtherapy— September 26, 2012 #
Steph, this looks like the perfect way to use concord grapes! (I never quite know how to bake with the little gems.)
I’m glad to see that you’re doing well! I miss the original TWD crew. 😀
Comment by Valerie— September 26, 2012 #
Wow! Good job!
Comment by thecasualfoodblogger— October 11, 2012 #
Looks delicious – never considered baking them like this. Thanks for the inspiration.
Comment by londonbusybody— October 13, 2012 #
So why is it called CONCORD grape pie…. don’t get me wrong it looks phenomenal! I just don’t know what that means…. (: ~ nerdwithtaste.wordpress.com
Comment by heedleselle— October 24, 2012 #
Concord is a variety of grape. It’s just the name of the particular grape I used.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— October 24, 2012 #
Looks amazing!! Good Job! =)
Comment by lizzawinter— October 25, 2012 #
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