This hummus recipe is blender based, tweaked from my first batch in June 2021 (YT video, blog article). It's thicker and smoother, very little of it getting runny by the next few days.
Reduced water from 1/3 C to 1/4 C.
Picked out more bean skins by using a slotted spoon and slotted spatula, in addition to strainers.
Used puree setting more often than pulse or liquefy, cautiously using rubber spatula for thorough mixing.
The "EZ Blender Hummus" article and video
pertain to the actual procedure for making a batch. I include info
about some substitutions of several online recipes' ingredients for
convenience. This article goes into more details and extra info about
hummus considerations.
Ever wonder about the two bean names? When shopping for the beans, I
had thought chickpeas and garbanzo beans were the same, but wasn't
sure. "Chickpeas vs Garbanzo Beans: What's the Difference?" explains:
A chickpea or garbanzo bean both refer to a plant in the
legume category with the scientific name Cicer arietinum. ... Garbanzo
happens to be the Spanish term while chickpea is the common English
term.
I became curious about "chickpea" as one word instead of two, and
also what chick had to do with the bean. I could not find etymological
reason for "chick". The chick relationship seems to be that chickens
really like chickpeas. "Can chickens eat chickpeas?"
states "Chickpeas are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and some
other key nutrients. Plus, chickens seem to go for crazy for them".
Blender or Food Processor?
I used a very old blender because it's what I have, and no intention
of buying a food processor. Turns out to be loads of recipes that use
either appliance, even though I did a Google search for "blender or food
processor for hummus"
"Blender vs Food Processor" dives deeply into contrasting the two appliances, not specifically for hummus, though.
a blender is a better option for items with a lot of liquid,
like smoothies and soups. A food processor is best suited for foods
that are mainly solid and require more labor intensive handling, such as
chopping and slicing. However, since the line between food processor
and blender has, well, blended, you can find high-end appliances that
handle both tasks admirably.
In deciding the order of ingredients to blend, I felt smooth hummus
was more likely if I blended liquids and powders first, then added the
skin-removed garbanzo beans. The steps in "How to Make Hummus That's Better Than Store-Bought - Easy Hummus Recipe" seemed sensible for starting with mixing the liquids and powders, then adding the beans. (She added water later.)
Removing Bean Skins or Not
Some recipes advocate removing the garbanzo bean skins. The "Do You Need To Peel The Chickpeas?" section of "Easy Hummus (Better Than Store-Bought)" compares both batches, with pix, leaning towards skipping removal.
You can see, even from this photo that the skinless
chickpeas made for a slightly smoother hummus, but in our opinion it
really wasn’t enough of a difference to warrant ten minutes of skinning
chickpeas.
Two sites make good cases for removing the skins for smoothness and also looks.
Using Bean Fluid or Rinsing Beans and Adding Fresh Water
A few commenters at "Homemade Hummus Dip"
mentioned using the canned bean fluid (aquafaba) instead of fresh
water. Retaining the bean fluid sounds good for enhanced flavor and
ingredient conservation. OTOH, "Aquafaba: The Good, the Bad, and the Gassy"
convinced me to, uh, start fresh—"aquafaba contains a compound known as
oligosaccharides. ... The result is bloating and gas, ...."
Vinegar or Lemon Juice
I used vinegar because it's handy. I don't use lemons or lemon juice
often so am hesitant to get them, then think about using up excess. In
any case,
"Substitutes for Lemon Juice" mentions white vinegar substitution is 1/2:1 ratio. If wanting to use lemon juice, "How Much Juice Is In One Lemon?" helps with lemon juice measurements: "if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, you’ll need to use about ½ a lemon".
Tahini or Sesame Oil
Tahini, a paste made with sesame seeds, is a main ingredient in
hummus recipes. Weirdly, tahini is near peanut butters at my
supermarket. Even though I bought some tahini, I decided to try subbing
sesame oil. Some commenters at "Homemade Hummus Dip" mention using sesame oil, but only half as much as tahini.
Fresh Garlic or Garlic Powder
I didn't want to buy an entire garlic when I'd use only three cloves.
Garlic would also need cutting up, chopping, slicing. or pulverizing.
Powder form is much more convenient. "Garlic Substitutes" informs—"For 1 clove garlic, substitute 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder."
Olive Oil or Not
I omitted olive oil because so many of the recipes showed it as an
after-recipe addition, which I've not seen at eateries. I used one less
ingredient and avoided adding extra calories. For using oils other than
olive, "These are the best substitutes for olive oil" lists the following substitutions and describes them.
Informative Website for Several Hummus Considerations
"The BEST Hummus Recipe"
covers four items I've floated: blender vs. food processor, removing
bean skins vs. not, bean fluid vs. added water, and freezing or not.
Another beany topic is soaked beans vs. canned. She used a blender,
which appealed to me. Note: The quantities called for seem to be for a
double recipe; 30 oz of beans is about two cans' worth of beans.
Additional Notable Hummus Websites
"THE BEST OIL FREE HUMMUS IN THE WORLD"
provides a vegan, oil-free recipe (process start time about 1:40). The
ingredients, which include the bean fluid, and blending procedure are
straight-forward. With using a high-speed blender; the outcome somewhat
resembles soft-serve ice cream, Storage in fridge is good for a week.
"Super Easy Hummus"
provides a straightforward food-processor recipe in text and also
embedded video link. The info is pleasingly compact. Excerpted: "I
usually end up using about half of the bean liquid, so be sure to
reserve it! ... Also, I like to let the flavors blend several hours or
overnight before serving this."
"3-Ingredient Hummus Recipe from Nazareth"
is a bit lengthy, and the ingredients amount to five. However, beans,
tahini, lemon juice, salt, and water are as minimalist for ingredients
as I've encountered in my recipe hunts.
"Easy Hummus (No Tahini)"
calls for natural, unsalted peanut butter as a replacement for tahini.
He uses a food processor that already contains chickpeas; thus, no
determination if the beans are skin-removed or not. The simple process
looks good, with ingredients captions, but is missing quantities.
A few weeks ago, I spotted a post on LinkedIn that pointed to "Homemade Hummus Dip".
Some comments gave me ideas for substitutions so I might avoid winding
up with excess, seldom-used ingredients. I needed to click "Read
Directions" button to see instructions, but was glad the website show both ingredient and instruction sections compactly.
My hummus recipe is blender based; numerous other recipes call for
using a food processor. Some replacements, considering ease of use or
longevity or both (varying ratios):
Vinegar (subbing for lemon juice)
Sesame oil (subbing for tahini)
Garlic powder (subbing for garlic cloves)
Vinegar
Most recipes call for lemon juice. One called for both vinegar and
lemon juice. I used vinegar because it's easy. I wanted to avoid
overtarting the hummus, so used less sour fluid than called for (2
tablespoons instead of 3). "Substitutes for Lemon Juice" lists the ratio of white vinegar to lemon juice at 1/2:1.
Sesame Oil
Two commenters at the "Homemade Hummus Dip"
website mentioned substituting the tahini with half the amount of
sesame oil. Besides using half the amount of sesame ingredient, fewer
calories and fluid.
Garlic Powder
Fresh garlic seems to show up in all hummus recipes I looked into.
Even though real garlic is more authentic flavor, I didn't want to buy
an entire garlic. I'd need to peel off three cloves, then hassle with
skinning them or smacking them with a blade to make skin removal easier.
Chunks would also need cutting up, chopping, slicing. or pulverizing.
Pouring garlic powder's easy—1/8 teaspoon per clove!
Omission: Olive Oil
I noticed that numerous recipes called for olive oil, added after
making the hummus. I omitted it as unnecessary and extra calories, even
if it is supposed to be healthy. (Eateries that I've gotten hummus at
don't pour it on.)
I noticed that numerous recipes called for olive oil, added after
making the hummus. I omitted it as unnecessary and extra calories, even
if it is supposed to be healthy. (Eateries that I've gotten hummus at
don't pour it on.)
Recipe Process
My video has the following sections in addition to overall info:
Ingredients
Implements
Bean processing (draining, rinsing, loosening and removing bean
skins, re-rinsing and re-draining). (Skinning the beans makes for
smoother hummus.)
Blending (liquids and powders first, then the beans)
Finishing up (pouring into server, sprinkling paprika, serving or storing, stats
Recipe Afterthoughts
The process for separating the beans from skins was more involved than I anticipated. Why remove the skins? "How I get the shells off cooked CHICKPEAS (easy) - Steven Heap" shows a method. The best reasons for skins removal is just before the 3-minute mark.
My bean skin removal process didn't go as quickly and thoroughly as
I'd hoped. For making hummus the next time, I'll use a deeper, bigger
bowl and strainer, and also use a slotted spoon and spatula.
The finished hummus (10 1/2 oz yield) poured out thinner than I
expected. Best to use less fluid at the onset. Be mindful of amount of
fluid called for and how substitutions might affect viscosity.
On the second day, water started to separate from the hummus. I
scooped the thicker stuff for consuming anyway. Ob the third day, I
poured the rest into my salad greens and tossed. Tasty!
The lemon meringue pie I made Friday 5/1 (May Day) is a followup to the pies I made in March ("Assessing My Mid-March 2020 Lemon Meringue Pie" (article, video) and December ("Assessing My Christmas 2019 Lemon Meringue Pie" (article, video). Timing the pies on significant days makes it easier for me to remember when I made them.
May Day Not the Same as Mayday—MayDay a Nod to Both Terms
"History and Origin of May Day" provides background of the celebration of May 1—"celebration dates back to the days, even before the birth of Christ. And like many ancient festivals it too has a Pagan connection." The significant symbol is the maypole. "What Is May Day?" includes similar info but also describes the rise of the date's significance to worker issues in the 1800s. "May Day" further describes actions by American presidents Cleveland and Eisenhower pertaining to workers and observation dates.
As for mayday, "May Day" explains that it is a distress call and the phonetic reason for its pronunciation—"it sounded like 'm'aider,' a shortened version of the French term for 'come and help me.'" For fuller explanation, visit "What Does Mayday Mean?"
Mulling Over Differences Between This Pie and Previous Ones
For the previous two pies, I used frozen pie shells that came with their own pans. This pie shell was a refrigerated one that needed unrolling, then shaping into a pie pan before pricking and baking it. Pie tasted good, as the previous two tries.
The main oddity is fluid that I'd characterize as dewiness rather than weepiness. Instead of cutting the finished pie the same day, I stored it in a cake tote overnight. Next day (day 1), I noticed dew drops. Cutting and removing two slices showed the pan to be dry. For days 2 and 3, I'm guessing it's condensation in the pan where I'd previously removed slices.
I did butcher the slicing—maybe moreso than the other two. I should have dipped the knife into hot water first before cutting into the pie.
Homing in on the Possible REAL Reason(s) for Excess Fluid
I reviewed still images for all three pies, in addition to re-viewing the videos. At the time the pies came out of the oven, the pies looked good. After time of refrigeration, dew drops had formed.
Christmas 2019 pie—I made it in the morning and had time to cool and serve slices that day. No dew drops (and fluid) until the day after. Dryness at cut slices indicate my fluid problems were actually dew. Although using food wrap for overnight day 1 and 2, new fluid (dewiness) developed.
Mid-March 2020 pie—I started part of the process in the morning and completed it after lunch (interruption between pie filling and meringue slathering). Found info later that the hot filling helps cook the slathered meringue. Weepiness occurs because reheating the filling in the oven creates trapped condensation between the shell and the pan. Although using food wrap for overnight day 1 & 2, new fluid developed, I think from both baking process AND dewiness.
May-Day 2020 pie—I made the pie after lunch; it took HOURS for cooldown. Decided to store it overnight in the cake tote, uncut. Dew drops the next day. Not a lot of fluid after slicing till subsequent days. Although using aluminum foil for overnight day 2 & 3, new fluid (dewiness) developed.
Resolving Excess Fluid for the Next Pie
I've seen several sites say to make a lemon meringue pie on low-humidity days. Maybe not willing to wait till winter, but could try to ensure sunny days.
I think the food wrap and foil storage methods don't seal the pie well enough to keep out surrounding refrigeration atmosphere. Two things I can do:
Minimize the time that I have the pie out in room temperature before returning it to the refrigerator. Soooo, fewer pix next time!
Use a smaller and more shape-appropriate container to enclose the pie. I'll set the pie my 9 1/2" springform cake pan (3" deep), and cover it with a snug tin lid. Lucky I managed to rustle them up!
Incidental Should-Does for Future Pie (Room for Improvement)
Start and finish making the pie early in the day so it'll be ready to serve by early afternoon or right after dinner. Related: Cool baked pie on a rack for an hour, then refrigerate for further cooling till refrigerator temperature (4 hours or so).
Cut with a sharp knife dipped in HOT water.
Revisit sites and videos that show good meringue making for the following considerations:
Optimal stickiness of whipped meringue to beater blade(s)
Optimal time for adding sugar
Suggestions for egg white temperatures
Possible addition of cornstarch during meringue process
Whimsical might-do—try Lemon Kool-Aid powder and water instead of lemon juice.
Resources
It's a big list. Several sites include similar pieces of advice, many pertaining to the meringue process, pie cooling, and pie storage. Visit the sites and come up with your own advisory list. (Duplicated info can help reinforce important points!) Maybe you'll have beginner's luck and make a perfect pie! I'm still not there yet, despite several tries over time!
About as easy a recipe for a beginner as possible (3 eggs, 1/2 C lemon juice, info for using frozen shells or refrigerated dough)
Previously in "Lemon Juice Aid 1, Let There Be Cake!", I wrote about the cake that I used lemon juice in yellow cake mix and vanilla frosting. This article addresses four lemon-flavor types—fresh-lemon juice, bottled lemon juice, lemon extract, and Kool-Aid.
Lemon Juice Cost/Convenience Considerations for Bottled, Fresh-squeezed
I probably have bought fresh lemons in the distant past, but don't remember when. I'm disinclined to deal with getting real ones, washing them, squeezing them, and measuring for juice amount. The pricing and convenience (less labor) of bottled juice appeals to me. However, I was curious about lemon juice yield in lemons.
"How Much Juice is in a Lemon? Get Easy Conversions for Your Recipe!" helps you determine number of lemons for amount of juice. Frinstance, "You need 4 medium lemons or 3 large lemons to get 1/2 cup of juice (4 ounces)." For visualization, "Here’s What 1 Pound of Lemons Looks Like" states "One pound of lemons is about four average-sized lemons, with average being a lemon you almost completely cover when holding it in your hand."
My supermarket lists single lemons for 49 cents each, and a 2-lb bag for $2.97. No listing for Realemon juice, but Target does—15 oz for $2.19.
Rough guess for cost of 4 oz portion of lemon juice (2 oz for cake modification, 2 oz for frosting modification):
Lemons, $1.50 to $2. (You do get free zest.)
Realemon juice from Target, ~60¢
Not making price comparisons from Amazon, as most are listed for large volume purchasing.
Concentrated Lemon Flavorings
I had run across info about lemon extract, which has concentrated lemon flavor. Having an additional extract bottle in the pantry doesn't appeal to me. Also, I'm not wild about considering dilution adjustments. Juice just seems less fussy. Amazon price listings took my breath away.
Since lemon extract is much more concentrated in flavor than lemon juice, use only half as much lemon extract and add back in the rest of the liquid in the form of water. … in baked goods that use baking soda as the leavening agent, lemon extract won't provide the necessary acid that lemon juice does. … Never use lemon extract as a substitute for lemon juice in a beverage like lemonade or a lemon daiquiri because the sweetness and tartness will taste "off" and won't work properly.
I have not yet tried unsweetened lemonade Kool-Aid powder for making cakes or pies, but I am intrigued. Each packet costs about a quarter, takes up very little room, and not perishable. "Kool-Aid Cake or Cupcake Recipe" looks uncomplicated—one packet for the cake, and one packet for the frosting.
As for lemon flavor pie, two recipes are nearly identical for ingredients (only four) and simple recipe instructions—"No Bake Lemonade Pie" and "Kool-Aid® Pie". Although the allrecipes version advises for various flavors, several commenters especially praise the lemon flavor pie.
Make a lemon cake by adding lemon juice to non-lemon flavor cake mixture and vanilla frosting. The info is intended more for cake makers who've had a coupla cakes under their belts, so to speak. Novices might consider also reaching outside this article to get beginner info.
I've tended to buy "classic" yellow cake (good color, uncomplicated add-in ingredients), especially when they've gone on sale for 88¢ each. (Regular price for lemon cake mix tends to run about $1.40.) Spreadable frostings seem to all cost the same, so no savings between lemon and vanilla frostings (about $1.55 at my supermarket).
Some time ago, I'd made a round, 2-layer lemon cake w/lemon frosting using a 4-oz (1/2 C) bottle of lemon juice. My recollection was it cost 80¢. More recently, I've noted in a couple of previous articles about using lemon juice that was a freebie (15 oz bottle). I've used about 1 C for two lemon meringue pies. For this cake, I used 1/4 C for cake and 1/4 C for frosting.
Pre-preparation for Cake-bake Newbies
Before starting out, read all instructions on containers. (Cake boxes have instructions and table info for pan shapes and recommended baking times.) Items needed include measuring spoons, measuring cups, mixing bowls, mixer, spatulas, cake pans, potholders, cooling rack. Helpful options: Plate for putting implements on, spoons.
Cake pan preparation, for easy removal of baked cake from pan: Various methods, such as parchment paper, spray oil, flour sprinkled onto pans and tapping to distribute the flour. The following videos are good, short guides.
"How to Prep a Cake Pan" shows oil/flour and oil/parchment paper methods with additional tips. (Should have also included paper removal.)
Ensure the oven racks are in position for cake pans, preheat the oven as directed on cake mix box (about 350° for 10-ish minutes).
Cake (Yellow) with Added Lemon Juice
I like using yellow cake mix because of its color and simplicity. Using white and butter-recipe cake mixes are more hassle, imho.
Directions:
Add 1/4 C lemon juice into a measuring cup. Add enough water to total the amount called for in cake mix instructions.
Pour the fluid into a medium mixing bowl.
Add the required number of eggs and amount of oil into the bowl.
Lightly mix these wet ingredients using a hand mixer.
Pour cake powder into the wet mixture, mixing as box directs (30 sec on low, then 2 min medium), occasionally scraping w/rubber spatula.
Pour the mixture into two prepared cake pans. (Use different pan plan and timing as you want, following box guidelines.)
Bake for the duration recommended, starting with minimum time. Check for doneness as required.
When finished baking, remove and cool as the cake mix box instructs.
Vanilla Frosting with Added Lemon Juice
The steps in this section are in the past tense. I was glad to see that the juice did not affect the frosting (such as curdling it) because of frosting's tendency to include milk.
"What Happens to Milk When Lemon Juice Is Added?" states "If the milk is cold when the lemon juice is added, the chemical reaction does not happen for some time." Seems no chemical reaction occurred during the cake's existence (about 5 days in and out of refrigerator).
The extra liquid, however, made the mixture initially runnier than I expected. I added powdered sugar to re-thicken the frosting.
Process (YMMV)
I deposited a 16-oz can of vanilla frosting into a mixing bowl roomy enough to stir in juice and powder sugar (for thickening).
Stirred in 1/4 C lemon juice. (Amazed to see runniness!)
Added 1/8 C powdered sugar, then more for total of 1/2 C.
Added 8 drops of yellow food coloring.
With extra frosting, I was surprised that I needed to carefully spread it as thin as I did to cover the cake. If I'd used canned lemon frosting, it might have cost the same as vanilla frosting, but I probably would have run out.
The lemon meringue pie I prepared Sunday 3/15 (Ides of March Day) is a followup to my pie I wrote about in "Assessing My Christmas 2019 Lemon Meringue Pie". I'd considered making it 3/14 (Pi Day), but maybe a bit too late for adequate cooling before serving.
Christmas 2019's "Room for Improvement" Reminders
I revisited parts in the "Room for Improvement" section to remind myself for the next pie try.
Reminder 1: The filling color was less yellowy than I expected.
Action: To make the filling more yellowy, I added 6 drops of yellow food coloring into the freshly prepared pie filling.
Reminder 2: The meringue was maybe too thin in a couple of areas near the crust edge.
Action: To avoid post-baked pie showing gaps at filling, I slathered the meringue more thickly near the pie edge.
Reminder 3: With so much time for the pie to cool and set, consider the pie to be a 6-hour process.
Action: After baking the meringue-covered pie, i cooled it for about an hour, then put it in a cake-taker into the fridge for about 4 hours more. (Too little cooling time, and the pie doesn't firm up for clean cutting.)
Reminder 4: Each time after cutting into the pie, I need to cover with plastic wrap, pressing out air from cut areas.
Explanation and action: This info referred to my Christmas pie's "weepiness" (wateriness), which occurred all four days of cutting and serving, dabbing the excess fluid between days. Wrapping after 3rd day cut/serve seemed to help prevent much weepiness for the next day. HOWEVER, this newer pie had weepiness issues all four days, even as I had plastic-wrapped each remainder portion. More about pie weepiness later.
This Pie's Good
The filling coloring came out nicely lemony looking. The meringue baked prettily and showed no gaps into the filling. As expected, the pie tasted yummy! I left plenty of time for pie cooling. As for Reminders 3 and 4, they're related to one major misstep, maybe two.
This Pie's Bad and Ugly
The weepiness (both bad and ugly) was a major disappointment. I went over my links from the Christmas pie article. Based on a couple of items from "Lemon Meringue Pie & Tips for Beginners", two actions I took contributed greatly to the liquidity (good for financial assets, bad for lemon meringue).
** Misstep: I had let the pie filling cool off before pouring it into the baked pie shell. I should not have squeezed in a non-pie task during the pie-making process. Future: Ensure no interruptions for future lemon meringue pie projects.
Advice from Meringue for Pie section:
Please make sure your filling is piping hot, fresh from the saucepan, when you pour it into the shell and add the meringue!! The filling has to be hot because the steam will travel up through the egg whites and cook the meringue from the bottom. If the filling has cooled, when the pie goes in the oven, the heat will heat up the filling and the steam will get trapped between the filling and meringue, creating a watery layer that causes the top and filling to separate.
** Misstep: I used plastic food wrap.
Advice from from Pie in Oven section:
When it’s browned to your liking, pull it out. I would let it cool for an hour or so before serving, but this is one of those pies that tastes best at room temperature on the same day it’s made. If it doesn’t get eaten all in one day, put it in the fridge loosely covered with foil. Plastic wrap will create too much moisture.
** Possible misstep: One other stage of the pie making that might have affected the pie quality. The pie shell had been zipper-locked in the freezer for a few months. When I brought it out to thaw in preparation for baking, I noticed a few hairline splits in the dough. Patched them with a few small loose dough lumps. After baking the shell, I noticed more hairline splits. I decided to use the shell anyway.
Room for Improvement
Overall project process: Consider the process to be a mission! Ensure no time breaks or interruptions.
Specifics:
Try using a refrigerated pie shell that unrolls onto a pie pan, then fork-prick it and bake as instructed.
Be sure the pie filling is hot when pouring it into the cooled and baked pie shell.
For covering leftover pie, use aluminum foil, not plastic food wrap.
Future Pie
I have another 3 tablespoons of a 15-ounce bottle of lemon juice to use up. I'll consider making the next lemon meringue pie around April Fool's Day, Good Friday, Easter, May Day, .... My Room for Improvement section will help guide me.
This Pie's Title
I'd been thinking about making this pie for awhile, as the remaining pie shell didn't fit well in the freezer. However, other distractions and tasks kept surfacing. On Pie Day (3/14, aka 3.14), by the time I thought about making it, it was already mid-afternoon, a bit late for enough cooling time.
Sooo, maybe the next day? After also pondering Ides of March, March Madness, St. Patrick's Day, and Middlemarch for March significances, I decided on mid-March as a reasonable nod to calendar timing.
Some bites of March info:
"A number of things to know on Pi Day" explains pi as a mathematical term and celebration of the number on March 14, along with the tasty edible.
I hadn't made a lemon meringue pie in, uh, lots of years. It tasted good, and looked mostly good before I started cutting into it. ("Wateriness" loomed large, which I'll discuss later.)
The driving force to make the pie was using up bottled lemon juice that I opened last month. (Used only 2 T with yellow cake batter for lemon cake variation.) During and after the pie project, pertinent thoughts popped up.
My main Google search term was “easy lemon meringue pie”. Most recipes I ran across called for 1/3 cup. One recipe that called for 1/2 cup of lemon juice was at allrecipes.com "Lemon Meringue Pie III". Pillsbury’s "Lemon Meringue Pie" also calls for ½ cup of lemon juice.
Pie Shell Type (Scratch, Frozen, Refrigerated, Graham Cracker Crust)
I bought ("Pillsbury™ Pet-Ritz™ Regular Pie Crusts". (Convenient that it supplied a recipe for lemon meringue pie.) Although I’d made pies last year with scratch crust, I wasn’t in the mood this time. Scratch ingredients are cheap, and you know what goes into the shells. However, scratch shells are labor-intensive. View “Cherry Pie—Section 2 of 3, Pie Dough Preparation”, which also includes a link to the blog article.
I chose frozen instead of refrigerated for handling convenience. The frozen shells come preformed with own pans. As for graham cracker pie crusts, I’d not considered them, but I know of recipes to make them. Furthermore, they are available pre-made with shell in baking aisles.
Lemon Pie Filling Complexities
I felt intimidated when recently reading the “pudding” process from several sources. Measurements, sequence of items, constant stirring, stovetop monitoring are crucial. I myself have used cornstarch-as-thickener process numerous time for many years, including past lemon meringue pies. After the process, I decided it wasn’t so difficult after all (again).
Cream of Tartar in Meringue
Meringue is mainly egg whites with loads of sugar and air. When it’s ready to use, it resembles shaving cream. Some recipes I ran across omit cream of tartar, some bakers advocate it wholeheartedly as a bubble stabilizer. Never heard of or used cream of tartar? "What Is Cream of Tartar—and What Can I Substitute for It?"states that it's "a byproduct of wine production, the residue left on the barrels".
I use cream of tartar as a stabilizer in any recipe that calls for whipping egg whites, even when the recipe doesn’t call for it. I simply add 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per cup of egg whites—or 1/4 teaspoon for every 4 egg whites—to the bowl with the egg whites before I begin whipping, and then proceed with the recipe as written. Some of my most respected colleagues use twice as much cream of tartar as I do, so you can choose how much to use.
Meringue Making
As a former newbie to meringue making, I was amazed at how much volume a few egg whites could expand to, with beating lots of air into them, and snowy white! It takes time! If you have a tilt-head mixer, that’s your friend to hold the beater up, and you need to add the sugar in spoonfuls for ensuring good sweetener distribution.
Several sites explain the process so you can see what ready meringue batches look like. Most bakers advocate spreading it onto poured pie filling while it’s warm or hot. At least one mentions a cool pie filling. They all stress spreading the meringue to the pie edge, totally sealing the filling.
Post-piebake Cooldown
Time ranges from one hour before cutting and serving to at least three. Some advice includes refrigeration. My lesson learned (sigh) is to be patient, wait long, and include a period of refrigeration before cutting. I had let it cool at room temperature for 2 ½ hours without refrigeration.
The Pillsbury frozen pie recipe states prep time of one hour, and total preparation time of five and a quarter hours. The cooling info says to cool completely; a subsequent sentence says to refrigerate about three hours, implying a room-temperature cooling time of 1 ¼ hours. Duh, I just noticed the online Pillsbury recipe "Lemon Meringue Pie" lists one hour for room temperature cooling.
Place the warm pie on a cooking rack for up to two hours. ... Refrigerate the pie for one hour if you prefer to serve it chilled. Make sure the pie has cooled to room temperature before refrigerating. Slice the pie in six or eight pieces with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Make certain you cut all the way through the crust. If the lemon filling does not slice cleanly, you may need to cool your pie longer.
The hardest part about this recipe is waiting for the custard filling to set. It takes a few hours and is 100% worth it if you're hoping to get a nice slice.
Cool completely, about 1 hour, then refrigerate until filling is set, 3 hours.
From once upon a chef's "Lemon Meringue Pie": "Let the pie cool completely on a rack before serving, about 3 hours."
Pie Wateriness, Weepiness, Sogginess
The initial wateriness was from the pie filling not setting fully—temperature and time. Served up two slices and spooned excess fluid. Refrigerated overnight; saw new excess fluid at cut area. Served up another two slices and spooned excess fluid. Third day, more of the same condition—new excess fluid at cut area. A few hours later, researched and found info about covering pie with foil or wrap. Did that, after I dabbed some already-developing fluid. Day four—success! Minimal excess fluid.
Refrigeration makes meringue weep more quickly, so let the pie stand at room temperature in a draft-free spot before serving it. After a few hours, however, it will need to be refrigerated.
"Prevent Weeping Meringue" states "Weeping occurs as moisture begins to slowly seep out of the meringue layer and ruin both the look and therefore the appeal of this otherwise delightful creation."
Room for Improvement
A future pie by me is sure to be better with the following reminders, as long as I don’t forget or ignore other info I’ve written.
The filling color was less yellowy than I expected. I used bottled lemon juice and skipped putting in peel (aka zest), as many other recipes call for. I did run across a few sites that mention using a few drops of yellow food coloring into the filling.
The meringue was maybe too thin in a couple of areas near the crust edge. Next time I’ll be sure to slather the meringue and seal the edge thickly.
With so much time for the pie to cool and set, consider the pie to be a 6-hour process. Definitely need ensure the baked pie is cool, at least an hour, then place it in the fridge for 3 ¼ hours.
The overnight wateriness over three days surprised me. Each time after cutting into pie, I need to cover with plastic wrap, pressing out air from cut areas.
BTW, it's good that I used the Pillbury recipe rather than allrecipes one, which calls for a fourth egg and extra 1/3 cup of water. They would have overflowed the pie crust. The online Pillsbury pie recipe calls for refrigerated pie shell, but ingredients and process are the same.
Additional Helpful Sites
Food for the cool's "Lemon Meringue Pie & Tips for Beginners" has lengthy helpful info for beginners and remedials is a long read, but has gems worth noting. (I myself found the process more work than I'd want to do in the future.) One passage seems pretty important WRT filling temperature:
make sure your filling is piping hot, fresh from the saucepan, when you pour it into the shell and add the meringue!! The filling has to be hot because the steam will travel up through the egg whites and cook the meringue from the bottom. If the filling has cooled, when the pie goes in the oven, the heat will heat up the filling and the steam will get trapped between the filling and meringue, creating a watery layer that causes the top and filling to separate.
"highly recommend a stand mixer for this! If not, you can still beat it with a hand mixer, but your arm will be tired."
"Magic Lemon Meringue Pie | Food Network" is intriguing for ease and brevity. The pie crust is graham cracker crust. Video shows meringue consistency to emulate, which she makes before making the filling. The filling is condensed milk, egg yolks, and lemon juice. Interesting that the filling color is similar to mine--offwhite rather than yellowy.
"Easy Lemon Meringue Pie" shows an unusual filling. Best attraction is her showing the meringue consistency and spreading at the end.
Use a glass pie plate for your lemon meringue pie. A pie baked in a glass plate will absorb heat from the oven faster, which makes the pie bake more quickly, making it firm and preventing it from getting too soggy from the filling.
Place the pie in the bottom half of the oven so that the pie crust is closer to the direct heat of the oven. The faster the pie crust cooks, the less chance there will be of having a soggy crust.
My profession had been technical writer/editor. Through TheWriteJob clublet (blog at http://thewritejob.blogspot.com), I have been exploring my inner creative writing, which includes mostly language enlightenment, entertainment, and a-muse-meant. Over time, I have become more active with images and my YouTube channel.
