Grape pie is a type of
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
pie made from
Concord grape
The Concord grape is a cultivar derived from the grape species '' Vitis labrusca'' (also known as fox grape) that are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes. They are often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape pies, grape-fl ...
and is part of
harvest time traditions in the
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...
region of
New York in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
It is particularly sought after at the
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
Grape Festival, and can be found at various shops around town.
Concord grape pie
Grape pie made with
Concord grape
The Concord grape is a cultivar derived from the grape species '' Vitis labrusca'' (also known as fox grape) that are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes. They are often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape pies, grape-fl ...
s is a regional specialty of
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all sources agree WNY i ...
, the Finger Lakes region,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
and other areas of the United States where the grape is grown as well as
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
Vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...
s that grow the grape, which was developed in the U.S., stretch from Western New York across Pennsylvania and into
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
as well as Washington state. Grape pie is a specialty and tradition of Naples, New York, host of the
Naples Grape Festival
The Naples Grape Festival is an annual festival in Naples, New York, United States, dedicated to grapes. The town of Naples is in the center of Finger Lakes American Viticultural Area (AVA), a region known for grape-growing and wine making in th ...
and home to Angela Cannon-Crothers, author of ''Grape Pie Season''.
The traditional recipe, using Concord grapes,
[Carol Nes]
Seasonal Cook: Short-lived Concord grapes elevate humble pie
August 20, 2008 ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is said to taste like wine due to the inclusion of
tannin
Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids.
The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'' ...
s.
Variants on the dessert use other grape types and various other ingredients.
The grape pie is part of the traditional cuisine of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
immigrants to the region. This tradition is represented at
Old Economy, home of a group of communal German immigrants founded in 1824.
The pie-making is a "very long process" and includes "skinning the grape, cooking the pulp and separating out the seeds."
[Margi Shru]
At Old Economy, a pie worth toasting
September 24, 2009, ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''
See also
*
List of grape dishes
This is a list of notable grape dishes and foods that are prepared using grapes as a primary ingredient. Raisin dishes and foods are also included in this article.
Grape dishes and foods
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the decid ...
References
Further reading
*Cecily Brownstone Concord Grape Pie Returns to Spotlight Sep 30, 1976 Los Angeles Times page OC_B34
*Mary Meade Time Is Ripe for Concord Grape Pies; Ration Roundup September 4, 1944 page 23 Chicago Daily Tribune
{{American pies
Fruit pies
American pies
Cuisine of New York (state)
Grape dishes
Cuisine of the Mid-Atlantic states