I'm guessing we've all been there. You pick up summer fruit you're really excited to turn into a crisp or crumble, but the final baked result is a little juicier (dare we say soggy?) than you'd really like. There are many reasons for this, and one really good trick to avoid it.
Cook's Country ran a recipe for Peach Melba Crisp in their September 2012 issue, and it was a delightful-looking combination of tart raspberries and juicy peaches. And, of course, a super crisp topping. But how to avoid the too-soggy topping? Drain the juice from the fruit? Use more thickener?
Thankfully for us, the folks in their test kitchen came up with a pretty great trick to maintain the crisp factor: they suggest macerating the peach slices (or whatever fruit you're using) with the sugar and salt called for in the recipe (letting them hang out together for awhile to release their sweet juices) and then drain the juices, reserving exactly 2 tablespoons to add back to the fruit filling.
They insist crisps and crumbles will come out perfectly this way, regardless of the fruit you're using. We can't wait to try it out!
See more: Cook's Country August/September 2012
Related: How to Make a Fruit Crumble With Any Kind of Fruit
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You can also take that liqud and reduce it down to a syrup and then add it back to the fruit. That way you can keep all of the flavor. Thanks to Lynn on the Splendid Table for that tip :)
I use this technique on my fruit pies and it works great. For crisps, I bake the filling for about 20 minutes and then I add the crisp topping and bake some more. This allows some of the juice to evaporate and thicken.
I used a recipe for pie on epicurious that reduced the liquid to a syrup and it worked wonderfully!
what a great tip! i made a peach cobbler once and it was a soggy mess =\
My fruit crisps do sometimes come out a little too liquid-y...but on the other hand, they're often the dessert I make when I want something really really easy, so not sure if I could be bothered with an extra step... Although the idea of reducing the juices to a syrup sounds delicious! What's the best way to drain the juices? Just let the macerated fruit sit in a strainer/colander over a bowl? How long would you let it sit?
@Brooklynnina: Best way to draw out the juices is to mix the cut up fruit with a little of the sugar in the recipe (add a little lemon juice if the fruit is prone to discoloration), and let it sit in a bowl to macerate for, oh, 5 min, minutes and get the juices flowing. Transfer the juicy fruit to a colander and let it sit, tossing gently every once in a while, about 10 min. Put the juices in a LARGE microwave-safe container and microwave till reduced. (Raspberry juice always seems to boil over on me...) I do this for lots of things besides fruit desserts too; I reduce grapefruit juice, for instance, and use it in salad dressings. :-)
Thanks Lukepf! I will give it a try next time.
I'll definitely keep this tip in mind, but I really love CBREYNOLDS's suggestion too. It sounds like a great, no-fuss solution to me.
#1: Bake it longer.
#2: Add tablespoon flour to fruit.
#3: Keep all pastry cold
If your recipe is a good one you shouldn't have to discard any of that precious natural juice. If your bottom crust or (seems almost impossible) crumble topping is soggy it's because you haven't done the 3 tips up there, or your recipe just isn't very good and you should seek out another or make changes.
This is a great tip. I also sometimes have the opposite problem, especially with apples, where they get too dried out. Suggestions for how to make it less dry?