My pie bakery is having a problem with thawed baked pies and the starch watering down. I use a modified starch. This usually happens in berry pies. Any ideas?

By jeee2 on Tuesday, September 28, 1999 - 03:36 pm: Edit

Would that be modified wheat or corn starch?
corn starch can be affected by acidity in fruit and break down.
You might want to try reading labels of pies that don't weep after thawing, see what they use.
Caravan sells different starches, freeze/thaw is one that might help. I'd contact their chemist and see what they recommend.

Cheers, Gerard

By judymontreal on Sunday, October 31, 1999 - 06:44 pm: Edit

I was catering a small dinner for a group which included a guest with an egg allergy. (Oh please, let's make my job harder!). I had planned a French vanilla ice cream as one component of the dessert. Of course the problem was with the eggs in the base. I remembered that I had read something on a package of sweet rice four about it being useful in frozen foods. I cooked the ice cream base using this starch and ommitting the eggs. I added a drop of yellow colouring at the end. Pretty darn smooth mock French vanilla ice cream!

I went back to this product when I was having seepage problems with béchamel sauces in frozen entrées that I was selling. I substituted the rice flour for the wheat flour and it worked. There were no more problems with seepage.

I bought this product retail at a local Japanese food store. It was dirt cheap and since my production was small, I never investigated getting larger quantities wholesale.

You never know. It just might work in fruit pies.

By Mikeh (Mikeh) on Thursday, November 04, 1999 - 01:03 am: Edit

Are people getting pickier and pickier? I was raised and still live by the opinion that if you don't like it, don't eat it. Now I invite guests to dinner and I get long lists of things that they don't like, things that they are allergic to, ways they prefer things prepared, this person is a vegetarian, this person is a vegan, this person doesn't eat beef, this person doesn't eat seafood, etc, etc.

Yes, I realize that the customer is the customer, but people seem to be running out of manners. I have two relatives who I refuse to go to dinner with because they make life hell for the wait people and kitchen staff. Any comments on this from you professionals in the bakeshop?

Cheers, Mike.

By Judymontreal (Judymontreal) on Thursday, November 04, 1999 - 05:27 am: Edit

Mike,

I agree with you wholeheartedly. At my own dinner table my personal guests eat what I plunk in front of them. I provide a vegan dish when I know that someone can't abide meat, but otherwise when it comes to low fat, no-salt, lactose-free, gluten-free, blah, blah, blah, -their on their own (and yes, there's butter in it!). It's one thing to inquire about the dish being served if one has a life-threatening allergy, but it is quite another to wrestle someone's PLANNED menu into submission. Rude, rude!

However when I was starting my catering business I had calluses on the back of my head from my heels touching as I bent over backwards to please them.
Know what I mean?

By W.DeBord on Thursday, November 04, 1999 - 07:57 am: Edit

O.K. so you have a food allergy how about the person who asks for the dessert of their choice at a large party held at someone elses private country club. Beyond Rude! Like they'd starve if they didn't eat dessert one night.

Mike your not alone! One member of my family is such an embarrassment in resturants he's even been asked to leave(a couple of nice places). Try logic with him, HA! It's me, me, me! No one will invite him over or go out with him and he can't figure out why.

I say stick to your guns and stop catering to or inviting these self centered people into your home. Even though you can't choose your family you can choose not to let them drive you nuts! Thank goodness you can pick your friends.

By Morgane on Thursday, November 04, 1999 - 11:38 am: Edit

There is a difference between dislike, intolerance and allergy. Food allergies, when real, can be very serious, even deadly. In the last few years because of a increase awareness in allergies some people have use the term allergic because they don't want people to think they are just difficult. I agree it can cause problems but still when someone say they are allergic we should take it seriously.


Morgane