As American As Apple Pie

Frank A. Terranova M.C.F.E

As American as Apple Pie

They’re simple, they’re totally American. And when the fall comes, everybody saves room for them. They’re apple pies.  But the pies we know today are a fairly recent addition to a history that goes back as long as mankind. The originals did have dough; they also contained fillings. In medieval England they were called “pyes”, and instead of being sweet, they were filled with meat, lamb, beef, wild duck or pigeon along with spiced currents or dates. Historians trace pies back to the Greeks who were thought to be the originators of the pastry shell, which they made by combining flour and water. The Romans used many kinds of meats and even seafood in their pies. Meat pies were often part of Roman dessert courses.

In the United States there was no such thing as a pie—pumpkin, pecan or otherwise—until it was served at the first Thanksgiving Dinner in 1621 by the British. Actually, the pumpkin pie was nothing more than boiled squash that was spiced and eaten as is. The early colonists prepared all types of meat pies encasing them in crusts to preserve them. The meats were seasoned just like a pumpkin pie: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and pepper were all included.

In England the first apples used were the crab apple variety: very bitter. And, on top of that, they made terrible pies! Did you know that there are no native American apples?  When the first settlers arrived on these shores in 1620, they brought along the first apple seeds to plant.  There were also some new plantings in New Jersey by 1632. Then a gentleman born in Leominster, Massachusetts named John Chapman became known as “Johnny Appleseed” because of the way he explored new territories and sowed apple seeds.

According to history, no one really knows where the first apple pie was made but most believe that the Pennsylvania Dutch totally perfected the balance of tart and sweet. Today, many people make apple pie. It’s the most sought-after and the most popular homemade dessert we know today. As I sit hear typing, I am waiting for a pie to cool! Living in New England (and especially living in Rhode Island) makes us blessed with so many wonderful varieties of apples. Most types are for just eating as they are; but there is always that one time when we need that apple pie fix. Would I order it in a restaurant? No! This is a dessert that symbolizes the typical American family; it must be homemade! It seems that most apple pies are made in the fall when the end of summer comes and the trees shed their apples, giving us those little, tender, mostly red, juicy, plump, tasty morsels of fruit. They can say whatever they want:  I think the term “as American as apple pie” will go on forever.

So, go to an apple orchard, pick up some of the zillion varieties of apples, and make a pie.  And if it doesn’t come out great, don’t fret. Eat it anyway because it was made with love,
and the process of making it came from the heart, not the stove. As always, that’s Cooking with Class. 