Xenophon Strategies

Chautauqua County Concord Grape Pie

David A. Fuscus

This pie is a tradition in Chautauqua County, New York.  The northern part of the county has rolling hills that gently turn into flat plains that end on the shores of Lake Erie.  These 20 miles of shore plains are mild in the summer and endure harsh winters with major storms rolling in off Lake Erie – perfect conditions for growing Concord Grapes.  So perfect, that the founder of Welch's Grape Juice, Charles E. Welch, moved his company to Westfield, NY in 1897 to take advantage of the ideal climate for the cultivation of Concord grapes.

Ingredients

Filling:

• 4 cups Concord grapes
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons all--purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 stick butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Crust:  Prepare your favorite crust for a 10” pie.  Line the pie tin with half.  Cut the other half into strips to use for the top layer.

Filling:  Pinch the grapes at the end opposite the stem to pop out the pulp. Reserve the skins. Place the pulp in a saucepan and boil. Remove from the heat and rub the pulp through a strainer to remove the seeds while hot. Mix the strained pulp with the reserved skins in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, flour, salt, lemon juice, butter, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla and mix well.

Topping: In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until it forms a crumbly mixture.

Putting it Together:  Spread ½ of the topping over the bottom of the crust.  Add the filling, and dot the other ½ of the topping on top. Crisscross the dough strips over the filling and brush the edges with the beaten egg.  Crimp the edges. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes until the filling bubbles. 

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