The first profit in pie lays in the filler, or thickness for the fruit. The public prefers a full pie, and without the so-called filler; you cannot make a full pie and sell it at a profit. So many use corn starch to thicken; this has a corn taste and makes the filling of a tough nature, and the second day the pie looks flat and unsalable. Others use cake crumbs; this is really the worst, as old laid-over cakes are more or less rancid, the many materials the cake was formerly compounded from does not flavor the good taste of a pie. My way of making filler is as follows: I take Pearl tapioca, have same ground to fine meal like corn meal. The cost of this is 4½ cents per pound, and ¾ of a cent per pound to grind it—for general use I take 12 qts. of water, 2 lbs. of tapioca, 6 lbs. of sugar, put all in a kettle on the fire, and stir until the milky appearance disappears, when the mixture is done; this should never boil, only become of glassy appearance; this is absolutely tasteless, and really conducts the most delicate flavor of any fruit. This mixture costs a little more than 1 cent per pound.

Next take a reasonable amount of this so-called filler and mix it with any canned fruit, thereby holding the filler together, and cheaper at the same time. I use 8 lbs. of large seeded raisins, 6 qts. water, 10 oz. tapioca and 4 lbs. sugar. Put the water, tapioca and sugar on the fire and treat as before said, until it becomes clear. Next add your raisins, and if you want to make it real good, squeeze to it a couple of lemons, let all of it cool and you will have a filling at the cost of 3 cents per pound.

Raspberries make the best berry pies, made of dry berries, and is made such: Take 14 qts. water, 5 lbs. evaporated raspberries, boil them a few minutes, then add 6 lbs. sugar and 2 lbs. tapioca and finish on the fire; this filling costs 4 cents per pound.

So many others can easily be made by applying my method. There is only one thing to be observed; this is a little accurate labor. Weigh everything and have your kettles clean; copper kettles are best.

Further, you must try out such suggestions to find out whether or not they are what you want.

Pie Crust and Paste.

I will say a few words about making pie crust or pie paste. To make an ordinary cheap, good crust, you must weigh your flour and lard, and dissolve the salt in the water, and be sure to know how much water it takes to mix the dough so you may pour in the full amount at once, thereby saving the over-working of the dough. Ordinary winter flour takes 1 qt. water, 4 lbs. flour, 2 lbs. lard, 1 oz. salt. Many bakers have trouble with watery custard pie. This is caused from baking too long. A custard pie is baked as soon as it is firm, no matter what color it may be, and must be taken from the oven. Often times it is the fault of the milk (fresh cow milk, I mean); therefore, I made good use of the dry milk. This dry milk helps to thicken the custard, makes the pie sweeter and firmer. If you mix 4 lbs. sugar, 1 lb. lard, or butter, in a bowl, add 2 qts. of egg yolks, then 2 lbs. spring flour, 1 lb. dry milk, you will have a regular dough. Now, gradually add 10 qts. of water, and next fill your pie bottom in the oven with a dipper; this will make a firm and sweet custard and bakes much faster than the corn starch custard. I don’t like corn-starch for pie work. My experience is that starch settles oftentimes and is too heavy. Flour dissolves in the liquid moisture. This, however, is a fancy or experiment and not a real fact in every case.