Fruit Pie Filling

Fruit pies are astonishingly easy to make. The classic cherries, like any fruit, are mostly water, making it very easy to calculate how much tapioca starch is needed to thicken things up. What most people, even chefs, fail to realize is that sugar determines how that starch will behave, so adjusting it to taste may well cause a recipe to fail: a fixed ratio of fruit, sugar, and starch is essential.

Whatever your fruit, you'll need 5.5% of its weight in tapioca starch and 25% of its weight in sugar, tossed in a crust, baked until bubbling-hot, and cooled to 85°F (29°C).