Is there anything other than cornstarch as a thickener?

Question

I am planning on making a double crust fruit pie and was wondering if there are different thickening agents besides cornstarch to make the liquid thick.

would it matter if it was wheat flour?

Answer 1

All of the suggestions are fairly good ones, except tapioca will not dissolve completely. It will thicken well, but leave small gelatinous balls in your liquid. They will be hardly noticeable, especially sine you're making a double-crusted pie, and they will not taste differently than the liquid they're suspended in. Tapioca starch (or tapioca flour) is a better product...but you're not likely to have that on hand.

Flour isn't a good choice, since it will turn your liquid opaque which will look a little weird in a fruit pie.

Overall, for a fruit pie, arrowroot starch is the best thing to use. It's a little more expensive than corn starch, but the end result will be worth it. It has a more neutral taste than other starch thickeners, and gives off more of a sheen than other products -- which is a bonus in your fruit pie.

Happy baking!

Answer 2

Tapioca is a wonderful thickener for fruit pies. Otherwise flour works. Either one you decide to use. Just toss in the bowl of fruit along with your fruit and any other flavorings or spices you are using. Works like a charm.

Answer 3

In a small fry pan do 2 table spoons butter and 2table spoons flour and let them cook together for a few min to get the flour taste out , You can do more or less, just as long as you do the same amount of butter and flour, I learned that from watching 30 min meals with Rachael Ray

Answer 4

Tapioca is all I know of.
Tapioca starch is a thickener and stabilizer in fruit pies, soups, puddings, breads, sauces, soy and meat products. It can withstand long cooking times without breaking down. And products made with tapioca don’t lose their quality when frozen or reheated because tapioca retains its thickening capabilities throughout these processes. Tapioca becomes clear and gel-like when cooked and dissolves completely when used as a thickener.

Answer 5

For 1 tablespoon cornstarch, substitute 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour;
OR
1 tablespoon potato flour or rice flour;
OR
4 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca;
OR
2 teaspoons arrowroot.

Answer 6

Yes, you can use gelatin of a different flavor or of the same! They also have regular gelatin that's no flavored!

Answer 7

yes