Tapioca opinions?

[RebeccaT]

Not the pudding, but as a thickener...

I had read a few recipes recently that called for tapioca in the filling of fruit crisps and pies, so last weekend when I made a peach-blueberry cobbler I decided to give it a try to decrease some of the watery-ness that peach cobbler and pie often has.

Well, I ended up with a very tasty cobbler, but the filling had an almost gelatinous consistency! Maybe that's an exaggeration, but it just ended up too jiggly IMO. Should I have used less (I made up the recipe, so I sort of eyeballed it. Which is perhaps not a good thing to do when using an ingredient for the first time)? Should I have used cornstarch (I actually used both, as suggested by one of the recipes I read)? Should I skip it altogether?

What are your thoughts on tapioca?

[Clover]

I usually use tapioca when I make a fruit pie, admittedly not often. I never thought it was too gelatinous. Maybe you did use too much, and using both tapioca and cornstarch does seem like overkill to me. Joy of Cooking recommends 2 2/3 tablespoons of quick-cooking tapioca for a 9-inch pie and letting the fruit-tapioca mixture stand for 15 minutes before baking.

[scassidy]

I think that you'll find that some folks prefer cornstarch and some tapioca -- just a matter of personal taste! :) I like the tapioca best myself. It sounds to me like you used a bit too much! :) It doesn't take much, as Clover reports.

I've tried cornstarch, but my impression is that the fruit filling turns a little cloudy (maybe I'm making this up, just my impression). I like the filling to be clear.

I've even tried flour, but you can sort of taste that, so I've rejected it for anything other than an apple pie.

All this reminds me that I owe my husband a couple of pies (our anniversary last week, and I swear that he married me for the pie!).

[RebeccaT]

Hmmm. Sounds like I definitely used too much, as I think I used 4 Tbs. Granted, it was for a 9x13 cobbler, but I had less fruit than I thought I would and probably didn't adjust the tapioca accordingly.

I like the idea of my filling being clear, too, so I won't give up on the tapioca just yet! I did let it sit for about 30 minutes with my fruit prior to baking, but I still noticed a few little pearls in the filling. Is there any way to prevent that?

[scassidy]

There are a couple of different kinds available. Maybe you had what's called "pearl" tapioca?! The pearls do indeedy make those funny balls and in their dried state look like white peppercorn sized things.

You can get boxes of flaked (I'm making this up) or in any event definitely smaller "chips" of tapioca -- this is the "Minute Tapioca" that's made by ... Kraft, I think.

I use the pearl tapioca for making tapioca pudding (some find it vile, but I like it!), but not for thickener.

[RebeccaT]

Nope, I got the "minute" tapioca, and they were very small, about the size of couscous.

[memartha]

I thought about making the Cherry Cobbler on the back page of the latest issue, but the ingedient tapioca turned me off. I've never used it. I guess I will give it a try, as DH LOVES cherry pie and the like. Where in the supermarket would I find it? Baking aisle? How is it packaged? TIA. Martha

[RebeccaT]

I found it near the cornstarch on the baking aisle.

make sure you let it sit before baking! That's apparently very important, or else the tapioca doesn't get soft and dissolve!

[SandyM]

<gasp> Upon quick glance, I thought the subject was Tapioca Onions.

Whew.

Sorry, Rebecca. Nothing to add. Just glad it's time to go home. ;)

[RebeccaT]

Now there's an image to sign off with. Oh how delicious.

:D :D

Thanks Sandy! Have a good weekend!

[Czarchef]

I personally like Pearl Tapioca, , I cook it in rapsberry and pineapple juice.. Anyway going back to your question, Ok so you like the thickening power of the tapioca? Ok for that you will have to cut down or skip the corn starch and yeah iif it very gealtinous then you used too much. I rmember that theres a form of powdered tapioca that Im pretty sure would work great on this