fruit pies

A long time ago I saw a hint on how to keep fruit pies from spilling over.  I can't remember what the hint was and wonder if anyone knows.  Thanks

I copied this one a while back, haven't tried it yet:

Juice Spills . . . To prevent juice spills when baking pies, cut several 3-inch lengths of macaroni and poke them into the pie crust before placing in the oven. Heated juices will rise up into the hollow macaroni, instead of spilling over and messing your oven.

Hope this helps!

Jolene

This is a trick I learned back in high school cooking class!

Where in the world do you get 3 inch lengths of macaroni????

I finally got around to trying this last month with an apple pie, and I used 3 pieces of ziti.   You could also use penne or any other straight tube shaped pasta.     I put mine close together in the center, so when I pulled them there weren't big holes in the middle of the slices.


:)

Sounds like a great idea, but my question is where do you find 3" macaroni?  I usually just put a piece of foil beneath my pie plate - no clean up there.   Peace ...

Oops, hadn't read the earlier posts - mea culpa

 How did a supposedly professional company like Taste of Home post something like this on the first page of its newsletter? Where would one find hollow macaroni noodles longer than 3 inches, and if one found them, how would you cut them to 3 inch lengths?  This is just plain silly.

Back in the olden days when I was a young bride (early '70s) baking pies & such, I recall reading a tip to poke a few spaghetti noodles into the top pie crust to prevent boil-overs. I never tried it, but it makes more sense than trying to find hollow macaroni noodles more than 3 inches long and cutting them down to size.

 Like another reader mentioned, I just put foil under the pie pan to catch juice that leaks over. I do find that cutting generous vents in the upper crust toward the middle helps too.

I have a "pie bird" that goes in before the filling and that is supposed to help (steam comes out through his beak).  But usually I forget to use it!  Instead I put an old pizza pan under the pie and hope it doesn't get too messy.  In my family we tell everyone "It isn't a good pie if it doesn't boil over" and somehow they seem to believe it. LOL

Believe it or not,   small ceramic devices known as "pie birds" were popular circa 1930's-1940s, in home baking. Pie birds, were literally made to look like small birds with their beaks open, pointing up. These novel inventions allowed steam to vent, from top crusts.

Currently, if they can be found, original "pie birds" are quite collectable.

brtedi

PS--Sorry, Jerseygal, I didn't see your post before I wrote this...My appologies. 

That's okay...you inspired me to remember to get out my pie bird next time. It's not an antique but it works.  Got it at a kitchen store somewhere. 

Good Morning JerseyGal!

 Looks like I learned something from you... I didn't realize the modern equivalent of pie birds were being produced.

Thanks,

brtedi

Don't know if this picture will post or not but this is what my "pie funnel" looks like, if anyone doesn't know what we are talking about.  Yes, they are still available.  Wonder if you could substitute a small stainless funnel from the hardware store?

Yes, indeed, JerseyGal!

 That's definately a pie bird, all right. I've never tried a small stainless steel funnel, but if the structrue is similar to a pie bird (and it would be) I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work--IMHO.

brtedi

 I use pie birds all the time.  I have several of them, with mos being antiques.  They work great and all the juice stays in the pie.