"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> "Paul M. Cook" wrote:
> >
> > "Nancy2" > wrote in message
> > ups.com...
> > > On Sep 26, 6:45 pm, "Paul M. Cook" >
> > > wrote:
> > > > "Drew Cutter" > wrote in message
> > > >
> > > > ...
> > > >
> > > > > Been watching foodtv on the pie contest. Vinegar was used for the
> > crust.
> > > > > Can you use vinegar for any pie crust ? Does it really make a
> > > > > difference ?
> > > >
> > > > I've eaten my share of pies in my life. I've baked pies since I was
12.
> > > > Never have I come across a recipe that called for vinegar, never
have I
> > > > eaten a pie that had vinegar in the crust and I can think of no
reason
> > > > whatsoever I would ever put vinegar in a pie crust. Pie crust is
flour,
> > ice
> > > > water, shortening and salt. That's it.
> > > >
> > > > Look FoodTV has decayed to the point where it's most popular 'cooks"
not
> > > > only cannot cook but admit it as well. I'd just chalk it up to a
> > channel
> > > > that considers canned chili topped with butter soaked cornbread to
be a
> > > > "healthy" dish.
> > > >
> > > > Paul
> > >
> > > In my experience, vinegar in a pie crust is an old-timey thing. It
> > > has nothing to do with FTV or no FTV. If you haven't ever used it or
> > > run across it or eaten it, that's your experience, not a benchmark.
> > > It's difficult if not impossible to tell when a crust has vinegar in
> > > it.
> >
> > OK, but what does it do for the crust? It's an acid so presumably if
you
> > had a base as well you'd get some CO2 action but there is none in a pie
> > dough. So what's the point?
> >
> > Paul
>
> A vinegar-containing pie crust recipe was the first pie crust recipe
> that ever worked for me (have lost that one since but there are plenty
> more on the Net). AFAIK the acid supposedly prevents the gluten from
> forming the long strands that would toughen the crust. If you can taste
> the vinegar the person making the crust has used too much! Light
> handling and letting the pastry rest in the fridge would probably
> achieve the same thing.
That's the way momma taught me to make pie crust. And I've yet to use an
egg in it either.
Paul