This Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie greets us all the way from Harare, Zimbabwe in Africa. This recipe is a small adjustment to the recipe from Rumbie at ZimboKitchen.
Table of contents
Ways to Make Apple Pie
Apple pie can be made with many different sorts of apples. The more popular cooking apples include Braeburn, Gala, Cortland, Bramley, Empire, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, and McIntosh. The fruit for the pie can be fresh, canned, or reconstituted from dried apples. Dried or preserved apples were originally substituted only at times when fresh fruit was unavailable. The filling generally includes sugar, butter, and cinnamon, sometimes also lemon juice or nutmeg; many older recipes call for honey in place of the then-expensive sugar.
How to Store Apple Pie
Ideally, apple pie (or any fruit pie) should be stored in the refrigerator, either with a lid or covered tightly with plastic wrap. It will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Apple pie will freeze well in an airtight container for up to six months in the freezer. To reheat the pie, defrost the pie at room temperature and then reheat it in an oven at 350 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes.
History of the Apple Pie
It’s believed that the forbidden fruit, the apple, originated in the mountains of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. The indigenous people of that area are currently the first people to make apple pie.
The first written apple pie recipe goes back to 1381 in England. It was printed by Geoffrey Chaucer and included apples, figs, raisins, pears, and a pastry shell (but no sugar).
XXIII. For to make Tartys in Applis.
Geoffrey Chaucer
Tak gode Applys and godc Spycis and Figys and reyions and Perys and wan they are wel ybrayed colourd wyth Safron wel and do yt in a cofyn and do yt forth to bake wel.
The 1381 recipe (above) lists the ingredients as good apples, good spices, figs, raisins, and pears. The “cofyn” in the recipe is a casing of pastry. Saffron is used for coloring the pie filling.
The Americans have laid claim to the birthplace of the apple pie but the only apples indigenous to the “New World” were small crab apples. The domesticated apple was brought to the Americas by the European settlers.
Although you might not think of Apple pie when you think of Zimbabwe, it was a British colony from 1888 to 1964 and as a result, the indigenous peoples of Zimbabwe adopted many of the British culinary dishes as their own.
The Metropolitan City of Harare, Zimbabwe
Harare is the capital of Zimbabwe and lies 4,865 feet (1,483 meters) above sea level and has a temperate climate. It is a hub of rail, road, and air transport (the airport in nearby Kentucky handles international traffic) and is the center of Zimbabwe’s industry and commerce. It is also the main distribution point for the agricultural produce of the surrounding area, especially its Virginia tobacco. There are also important gold mines in the vicinity. Greater Harare includes residential Highlands and the industrial suburbs of Southerton, Graniteside, and Workington. The most populous of the adjoining townships is Highfield. Area 216 square miles (559 square km). Pop. (2002) 1,435,784; (2012) 1,485,231.
A Brief History of Harare, Zimbabwe
The city was founded in 1890 at the spot where the British South Africa Company’s Pioneer Column halted its march into Mashonaland; it was named for Lord Salisbury, then British prime minister. The name Harare is derived from that of the outcast Chief Neharawe, who, with his people, occupied the kopje (the hill at the foot of which the commercial area grew) at the time the Pioneer Column arrived and seized the land.
Tourism in Harare, Zimbabwe
The city is modern and well-planned, with multistoried buildings and tree-lined avenues. It is the site of Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, a Dutch Reformed church, the Queen Victoria Memorial Library and Museum, the National Archives, the University of Zimbabwe (opened 1957), and the Rhodes National Gallery.
On the edge of landscaped Harare Gardens, the National Gallery of Zimbabwe has a large collection of African contemporary art and traditional pieces like baskets, textiles, jewelry, and musical instruments. The unusual granite formation Epworth Balancing Rocks is southeast of the city. Wildlife such as zebras and giraffes roam Mukuvisi Woodlands, which has bike paths and a bird park.
The Cuisine of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s cuisine is greatly influenced by British colonization and certainly left its mark on Zimbabwe’s food culture. Meat in Zimbabwe is very good, and interesting game meats such as warthog and crocodile are readily available in most towns and tourist areas. In the major urban areas, a variety of international restaurants are also available, while the local diet includes tasty peanut-based stews, wild mushroom soup, and starchy staples.
Zimbabwean markets generally have sumptuous fruit, especially papaya, and good locally-grown vegetables. Beer is never far away, whether it’s European-style lager or the opaque maize beer that is a favorite with many locals.
– Featured Restaurant –
The Vanilla Moon
8 Seagrave Rd, Harare, Zimbabwe
This place is quiet, in a nice suburb with friendly service. Sitting outside under the shade of big leafy trees, it never feels crowded even when there are lots of people. So far, I enjoy their cakes and their breakfast menu. Parking can be a bit hectic when it’s full but that’s the price for people enjoying their food!
How to Make This Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie Recipe
This recipe for this Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie is unique to Zimbabwe and I was not able to find anything like it elsewhere. So give it up to the people of Zimbabwe for making this trio of tastes into a pie.
Ingredients You Will Need for Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie
Equipment Needed
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 zester / grater
- 1 pie pan
Ingredients Needed
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup plain flour all-purpose
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup raisins
- 4 apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 tsp lemon rind grated
- 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ lemon squeezed
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 2 ready to bake pie crusts
- 1 egg
Time needed: 55 minutes.
How to Make an Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie
- Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and gather your ingredients together.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, and raisins.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a mixing bowl grate a teaspoon of lemon rind and squeeze the juice of half a lemon. Peel, core, and slice the apples and add them to the mixing bowl. Grate the carrots and add them to the mixing bowl.
- Mix the Filling
Add the bowl of mixed dry ingredients to the bowl of apple slices, carrots, lemon rind, and lemon juice then mix well.
- Assemble the Pie
Grease the pie dish, roll out the pie crusts, and lay it into the pie dish. Pour apple mixture into the prepared pie dish. Put the top pie crust on and crimp the edges of the top layer to the bottom layer.
- Bake the Pie
After you’ve finished, brush it with an egg wash, sprinkle some sugar, and put it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool and Serve the Pie
When done, put it on a cooling rack to allow it to cool. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
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Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie
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Equipment
- 1 Pie Pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
- 1 cup raisins
- 4 granny smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 tsp lemon rind grated
- 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ lemon squeezed
- 1 cup carrot grated
- 2 pie crust
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and gather your ingredients together.
- In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients, sugar, flour, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground ginger, and raisins.1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup all purpose flour, ¾ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, ¼ tsp ground allspice, ⅛ tsp ground cloves, ⅛ tsp ground ginger, 1 cup raisins
- In a mixing bowl grate a teaspoon of lemon rind and squeeze the juice of half a lemon. Peel, core, and slice the apples and add them to the mixing bowl. Grate the carrots and add them to the mixing bowl.4 granny smith apples, 1 tsp lemon rind, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 cup carrot
- Add the bowl of mixed dry ingredients to the bowl of apple slices, carrots, lemon rind, and lemon juice then mix well.
- Grease the pie dish, roll out the pie crusts, and lay it into the pie dish. Pour apple mixture into prepared pie dish. Put the top pie crust on and crimp the edges of the top layer to the bottom layer.2 pie crust
- After you’ve finished, brush it with an egg wash, sprinkle some sugar, and put it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.1 egg
- When done, put it on cooling rack to allow it to cool. Serve with ice-cream or whipped cream.
Nutrition
Food That Goes With Apple, Carrot, and Raisin Pie
Photo Credits:
- By Taste The World Cookbook – Copyright 2022 All rights reserved.
- By Restaurant Oberkrainer – By https://www.facebook.com/vanilla.moon.zw/
- By Damien Farrell – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1228506
- By Gary Bembridge – originally posted to Flickr as First Street, Harare, Zimbabwe, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4536495
- By David Brazier – Contact us/Photo submission, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4839487
- By Gary Bembridge – Flickr: Heroes Acre, Harare, Zimbabwe, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16912340
- By Damien Farrell – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1228498
