apple pie: best thickener?

[jenP]

So I am tweaking my apple pie recipe to enter a contest, I want it to be the best I can make. It is a wheat-free pie (I use an oatmeal/nut crust.) Usually I just use brown rice flour in with the apples. But I want to see if something else might be better. I'm considering cornstarch, tapioca starch, arrowroot powder, and sweet white rice flour.
Does anyone have any experience using those things in fruit pie fillings? Can you tell me the pros/cons of each? Also, how much would you use of those alternatives if the original recipe calls for two tablespoons of white flour?

Thanks so much for any advice!

Jen

[Arduinna]

Have you tried King Arthur Flour instant cleargel for fruit pies? I bought some but I haven't tried it yet, I don't do that many fruit pies.

[jenP]

thank you, that sounds great! I had never heard of it. Looks like it's just a pre-cooked ("pre-gelatinized") form of cornstarch, which should work nicer than just regular cornstarch.

[cristeen]

I always use instant tapioca (not tapioca starch) for fruit pies. It's available in any grocery store, and it does a beautiful job of disbursing among the fruit and then thickening the liquid evenly. It doesnt get all clumpy like starches can.

I just toss maybe 1/4 c w the raw fruit and sugar/spices before pouring into the shell.

[emilysmama]

I use tapioca starch when I make peach or pear pie, and I use the Cook's Illustrated recipe for peach pie. It is very good because it dissolves very well and doesn't get grainy or gummy. You have to be careful not to use too much, because then it does get clumpy. Other than that, it's good. So I would say 3-5 Tablespoons, but I don't measure so I am just guessing. For some reason, I have never tried tapioca starch with apple pie.

The peach pie recipe I use (from cook's illustrated) also suggests using white rice flour instead of tapioca flour for the peach pie.

Usually I use wheat flour for apple pie.