What Is The Grape Pie Capital Of The World?

If you like grape pies, you will be surprised to know that there is a place known as the grape pie capital of the world. Let's dig into it and learn more about it. Keep reading.

What City Is The Grape Pie Capital Of The World?

Since at least the 1980s, the community of Naples in southwest Ontario County, New York, has been referred to as the "Grape Pie Capital of the World."

Early in the 1960s, Al Hodges, proprietor of the Redwood Restaurant, commissioned Irene Bouchard, a baker who resided across the street, to create grape pies, which became a symbol of Naples. The Chicago (IL) Tribune published "Irene Bouchard's grape pie" recipe in 1978.

Grape pie made with Concord grapes is a specialty of Western New York, including the Finger Lakes area, Pennsylvania, and other states where the grape is grown, as well as Ontario.

The grape, which was created in the United States, is grown in vineyards that extend from Western New York through Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan, as well as Washington state.

The Naples Grape Festival is held in Naples, New York, which is also the hometown of Grape Pie Season author Angela Cannon-Crothers and Monica's Pies. Grape pie is a local delicacy and tradition there.

Grape pie is still a significant cottage industry in Naples, a community of fewer than 1,000 people in the Finger Lakes region of western New York. The pastries are made by a lot of home bakers, so the area is called the "Grape Pie Capital of the World."

Fall is the season with the highest sales, especially during the 100,000-person Naples Grape Festival over the final weekend in September. Pop-up shops and roadside booths are built by vendors, who occasionally use a coffee can to collect payment on the honor system.

With 120 wineries and counting, the Finger Lakes is still expanding as a wine region, although Concord grapes work best in pies. They are harvested in September and October, and the filling they produce can be frozen for use in baking at any time of year.

The "World's Greatest Grape Pie Contest" is held each year at the Naples Grape Festival. The town of Naples is located in Ontario County, New York. The 2010 census found 2,502 people living there.

Naples Village is a part of the Town of Naples. The community is located in Ontario County's southwest corner. Naples hosts the yearly Grape Festival every September and is well-known for its vineyards and grape pie.

When grapes were first grown in the town in the 1860s, they led to the wine and grape industries as well as the town's annual grape festival, which began in 1961 and has been shown on the World Food Network.

Now, you might want to try this delicacy. Let's have a look at its recipe:

Grape Pie Recipe

• One 9-inch pie
• Grapes of Concord, 2 pounds.
• 3/4 cup of sugar.
• One-fourth cup rapid-cooking tapioca.
• 2-crust 9-inch pie pastry.

Procedure

• Washing and stemming grapes Grapes should be squeezed so that the pulp and skins fall into a separate bowl.
• Cook pulp in a saucepan for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically, until it becomes soft.
• Discard the seeds.
• Combine the tapioca, sugar, strained pulp, and skins.
• Allow to stand for at least ten minutes.
• Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie pan with pastry.
• Place the top crust on top, trim, seal, and flute the edge.
• Prick the crust's top to let the steam out.
• Instead of a double crust, a lattice crust can be used on top.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the juices in the center are bubbling.
• Enjoy it with its ice cream.

Best Stores To Buy Grape Pies

Heart 'N Hand

Heart 'n Hand recently reopened following the pandemic and sells a range of pies, from sweet to savory, as well as grape pies on occasion. They utilize Concord grapes that are grown nearby and advise serving them with a big scoop of vanillaice cream and streusel topping.

To reserve one of these well-liked pies, call in advance. Additionally, there are handcrafted bread, biscotti, cupcakes, cookies, muffins, brownies, ice cream, vintage sweets, and more available at the bakery.

Jeni's Pies

Jeni Makepeace began as a home baker, selling pies from her aunt's front lawn, and went on to win the World's Greatest Grape Pie Contest at the Naples Grape Festival three times.

The Grape Fest has been postponed for this year, but you can still get one of her delectable double-crust or streusel-topped grape pies at Joseph's Wayside Market.

She now sells hundreds of pies every year. On the weekends, they also sell Jeni's grape monkey bread.

Cindy's Grape Pies

In the fall, Cindy's Grape Pies bakes grape pies, tarts, bread, coffee cake, and cookies with grape filling.

They will be selling a Heavenly Red grape pie in 2020. Unlike a classic Concord grape pie, this one is made with heritage Agawam red grapes and has undertones of apple and cherry.

Local establishments like Caruso's Cafe in Naples and Casa Larga Winery in Fairport, New York, both serve their grape treats.

What city is the "Grape Pie Capital of the World"?

People Also Ask

What City Is The Great Pie Capital Of The World?

Kyle, Texas is the Great pie capital of the world.

Which US City Calls Itself The Grape Pie Capital Of The World?

Naples calls itself the grape pie capital of the world.

What Is The Pie Capital Of The US?

Kyle is the pie capital of the US.

Conclusion

Do you know that Naples claims to be the "Grape Pie Capital of the World" and estimates that 60,000 pies are sold there annually?

Although the Finger Lakes region of New York is perhaps best known for its wine, local farmers have been cultivating table grapes like the Concord variety for decades.

The grapes are frequently used to make grape juice; in fact, Welch's sources a large portion of its grapes from this area.

However, thousands of people go to the Finger Lakes hamlet of Naples on Canandaigua Lake every September for the Naples Grape Festival to experience the best of the region's grape harvest.

Although grape pie is undoubtedly delicious, it is not an easy recipe to follow. Before even beginning to work on the crust, the grapes must be peeled, cooked, deseeded, and filtered. But the result is undeniably worthwhile.

About The Authors

Xander Oddity- Xander Oddity, an eccentric and intrepid news reporter, is a master of unearthing the strange and bizarre. With an insatiable curiosity for the unconventional, Xander ventures into the depths of the unknown, fearlessly pursuing stories that defy conventional explanation. Armed with a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience in the realm of conspiracies, Xander is a seasoned investigator of the extraordinary. Throughout his illustrious career, Xander has built a reputation for delving into the shadows of secrecy and unraveling the enigmatic. With an unyielding determination and an unwavering belief in the power of the bizarre, Xander strives to shed light on the unexplained and challenge the boundaries of conventional wisdom. In his pursuit of the truth, Xander continues to inspire others to question the world around them and embrace the unexpected.