Southwest USA Genealogy & History

The Yuma, Arizona County Fair comes only once a year… it is anticipated by many thousands of local residents.  Several (okay… many several) years ago, one event that was a must do by my father was to have a slice of lemon pie. 

My mother was not a pie baker, and lemon was her least favorite flavor of pie. My dad and I had about the same taste for everything to do with food.  The first booth we hit after paying the fair entrance fee was the Yuma Homemakers Club Pie booth.  The recipe has finally been released and was published in the Yuma County Homesteaders 1978-1952

The Lemon and Fruit Pie Recipes

Pie Crust

3 c flour (sifted)

1 ¼ cup shortening

1 tsp salt

1 egg - well beaten

5 Tbls ice water

1 Tbs vinegar

Mix flour, shortening, salt - add water and vinegar.

Fruit Pies

Each pie contains approximately 3 cups filling. Measure from bucket 12 cups filling into large bowl.  Add lemon juice and sugar to taste to cherry and apricot.  

Cinnamon may be added to apple.   Add one tablespoon BUTTER, cut into bits, per pie.  

One pound of butter makes 32 pies.

Lemon Pie Set Ups
3 c sugar
¾ cup cornstarch
1-teaspoon salt
Put in large baggie and tie.
Meringue
¾ c sugar
Put in small baggie and tie.
Lemon
1 cup lemon juice
3 Tbs grated lemon rind
1 tsp lemon extract
Put wet ingredients in baggie in cup and tie.

Lemon pie set ups, wet and dry, must be frozen until time to use.

Fruit pies and dry lemon set-ups are made in January and February at the Newcomer Building.  Pies are immediately taken to Southwest Meat Co. for freezing and storage until fair time. Dry lemon set-ups to someone's freezer.

Wet ingredients for lemon pies should be done in November early December while acid high in lemons.  Frozen in a home freezer until fair time.

Fruit pies are transferred from Southwest Meat Co to Nancy Jane Bakery each day beginning the day before fair opens.  Pies are baked and ready to be taken to fair grounds around 9:00 a.m.

Pies for Sunday fair may be baked with Saturday Pies.  

Arrangements for baking pies must be made with Buddy Goldsboro, Manager, Nancy Jane Bakery.  Baker paid or given gratuity-CHECK ON THIS.  Decide each fair day how many of each pie to be baked next day leave note in door of bakery after booth closes at night.
Lemon pies made each day of fair at the booth. Shells are baked a week ahead of time and refrozen so they are ready to use.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 9:25 pm and is filed under Yuma History. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.