Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken - Jonathon Swift

“Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken.” - Jonathon Swift

 It's almost time for the Josephine County Historical Society's Pie Contest!

The judging will take place on July 27th at the Schmidt House Barn located at 508 SW 5th Street in Grants Pass, OR.

If you would like to enter, and I hope you do, you can download the registration form here.   Your entry form and pie (in a disposable container) must be brought to the Schmidt House Barn by 11:00AM on July 27th.

“Unless you're an avid pie maker you don't really need 20 pie plates.” - Barry Izsak

Last year, I submitted a peach cobbler for my entry.  I thought that was rather fitting for a historical society since our ancestors that came west along the Oregon, California and Mormon trails would have made cobblers rather than pies during the journey since pies require a traditional oven for baking, but cobblers and crisps turn out wonderful in dutch ovens.

Well, I didn't win, place or show -- so this year I'm making a "filled pie."  I do have my mother's pie crust recipe that she got from her mother who got it from her mother.   I didn't have much luck with it.  The crust went into my pie plate looking like a jigsaw puzzle.

I started looking through recipe books, both printed and online; I'm amazed at how many different recipes there are for pie crust.  Some call for shortening, others for butter, some for both.  I found a few that needed vinegar, one that called for heavy cream and another for vodka.  I've tried about eight of them, and I've finally found the one that works best for me.  Guess what, it's my great grandmother's recipe with a couple of changes; I've substituted Crisco shortening kept in the freezer overnight for the lard and added a tablespoon of sugar.

Now on to the filling.  I tried strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, black and blue, raspberry, and pear.  The strawberry required refrigeration, so it won't qualify; raspberries are just too expensive, and mine didn't thicken (although it was the tastiest); the spices in the black and blue didn't taste right to me (cloves and nutmeg); the pear pie had to be eaten with a knife and fork - I still don't understand why those pears were so tough.

I had such high hopes for this "black and blue" pie; it's the prettiest one I've ever made.

“I prefer Hostess fruit pies to pop-up toaster tarts because they don't require as much cooking.” - Carrie P. Snow

I've eaten a lot of pie in the past six weeks.  Six generous sized pieces of pie six days a week for six weeks.


“We just want a piece of the pie. That's all.” - Tim McKee


There is only a week before the contest and I'm still wondering what kind of pie to make.  Maybe I'll try a peach cobbler!

“You can wipe out a workout with a glass of milk and a piece of pie.” - Joe Donnelly

Pie Trivia

 It is thought that pies were first made by Egyptians during the New Stone-Age, about 9500 B.C.

Animated pies were popular in the 14th century.  The nursery rhyme " four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie," refers to such a pie. According to the rhyme, "When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing."  When the pie was cut into, the birds would actually fly out!  Birds, frogs, and small mammals were also used.

 Cobblers came into creation during the 19th century in the American West.  Westward bound pioneers adapted traditional oven-baked pies to something that could be cooked in a dutch oven.  The earliest reference to a cobbler is from 1839 by The Kentucky Housewife, Lettice Bryan.  She described the pie as; "not fashionable for company, it is very excellent for family use."

For a period in time in Kansas, it was illegal for restaurants to serve ice cream with cherry pie.

 Boston Cream Pie is actually a cake; and cheesecake is actually a pie (tart to be exact).

The Wham-O Frisbee's prototype was a metal pie pan.  The inspiration for this still popular toy came from the Great Depression era when college students entertained themselves by tossing around empty pie plates.

The Josephine County Historical Society is holding its annual Pie and Ice Cream Social on Friday, July 29th, 2011 at the Schmidt Barn and Gardens from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Please join us!