How to Bake Pies in Jars

For most people a pie is baked in a round pie pan or a square deep dish, but have you ever given thought to baking a pie in a jar? These sweet delights are not only cute, but fun to make and are great gifts. Remember when grandma used to bake bread in a coffee can? I remember that, and it was good bread and pleasing to the eye because the bread took on the form of the coffee can. Baking pies in jars is the same concept.

Here are the jars you'll need - 1/2 pint mason jars. The jars have wide mouths and will be easy to line with the dough as well as stick your fork or spoon in. Depending on the type of canning jars your use, after baking, these tiny little pies will be approximately 2.5 inches wide and 2 inches tall. You can use canning jars that are wide and fat in width. You can either purchase or make your own pie crust.

1. Be sure to wash or sterilize your jars first. If you are going to freeze your jarred pies and bake them at a later date it is important to sterilize the jars first. You may bring your jars to a boil, remove them with tongs and let cool.

2. Grease the inside of the jars with butter or with cooking spray - this will make it much easier to line the jars with dough and the pies will come out of the jars easier after baking if you so choose. It's nice to leave them in the jars and top pies with your favorite topping or with ice cream.

3. Begin to line your jars with dough by first using your canning jar lid and pressing out a dough circle and placing it in the bottom of the canning jar.

4. One half (1/2) inch of pie dough can be left above the edge of the canning jar. With the 1/2 inch of pie dough you'll be able to roll and crimp it to the pie top which I will tell you how to make.

5. Begin to fill your jars with your favorite pie filling and only fill them 1/2 or 3/4's full depending on the size of your canning jars. You don't want your pie filling to overflow and you don't want to make it difficult to put on your pie tops.

6. Here's how to make your pie tops. Take some dough and roll it out quite thin. Take the canning lids and press out circles. You can also make strips of dough to create cross-hatch tops. If using solid round pie tops be sure to poke holes in the tops to vent steam. If you want to get real fancy use decorative small cookie cutters to make your steam vent.

7. Place the dough tops on your canning jars and begin to press and crimp around the sides of your dough. It's ok to use a fork, a skewer, hunting knife (just kidding). Don't forget to lightly brush your dough tops with butter, and if you want, sprinkle some sugar on top and maybe make it some brown sugar mixed with cinnamon.

8. After you've finished crimping your dough tops put the canning jar lids on to freeze pies for a later date, or if you want to bake quick, fast and in a hurry, do this:

• Don't put the canning jar lids on.
• Start with a cold oven.
• Set the oven 375 to 400 degrees, depending on your oven.
• Place jars on a cookie sheet.
• Bake jarred pies approximately 50 to 60 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and your filling is bubbling.
• Eat plain, or top pies with ice cream or cool whip.

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