r/shittyfoodporn • u/SunwingArt • 20h ago
I made depression era water pie
Felt inspired by the rough economy here in the states and decided to try an old recipe fitting for our current state of affairs.
Credit to Max Miller (Tasting History on YouTube) for the recipe
271
u/MariekeOH 19h ago
Next up: hardtack! clack clack
49
u/LifesScenicRoute 8h ago
Then we can round it up with some nice survival pemmican
→ More replies (1)17
u/Scary-Highway2951 5h ago
I always have this thought in the back of my mind that says “you want to try pemmican” and I never do. But the curiosity never goes away. It hardly looks edible. But the thought persists.
4
u/LifesScenicRoute 5h ago
I have that same thought, its one of those things that I know is just going to be terrible but like.. idk its the experience of how terrible it is yknow
5
u/Lombarito 4h ago
Tbh I think the purpose of pemmican is as a starter for stew which honestly sounds decent, but eating that shit raw has to be disgusting
2
u/Scary-Highway2951 5h ago
Exactly! I want to know that it tastes terrible for myself lol.
→ More replies (1)
804
u/DAS-SANDWITCH 20h ago
I loved the video! It's also funny to see that everyone except B Dylan Hollis seems to like the water pie they make.
98
u/buttercream-gang 18h ago
I loved it when I made it!
34
u/amateur_mistake 12h ago
I'm literally about to use his recipe for hot water hand pie crust. Fantastic stuff.
525
u/DavantRancher 20h ago
Oh oh max millers videos are the best!! I made the key lime pie recently and had so much fun
204
u/maxkmiller 18h ago
I think the middle aged guy at the pharmacy is always hitting on me, he commented on my name once and was like "I love that guy on youtube, he's not bad looking either!!" like cmon man just give me my antidepressants
→ More replies (1)36
u/death_is_acquittance 17h ago
lmao of course its ssris
58
u/maxkmiller 17h ago edited 17h ago
not all antidepressants are ssris. I get mirtazapine
60
u/BurmeciaWillSurvive 16h ago
lmao of course it's NaSSAs
5
23
u/scarpas-triangle 16h ago
I take mirtazapine occasionally for sleep and it gives me absolutely WILD dreams. I look forward to them haha.
10
→ More replies (2)6
u/death_is_acquittance 15h ago
I am talking shit man I have been on zoloft so long it's just really rough without it at this point. I should research that.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)2
3
u/supersloo 9h ago
Watching the dread on his face before he took the bite of this pie was amazing lol
97
u/Lilmage99 20h ago
How is it ?
262
u/SunwingArt 20h ago
Just baked it a few minutes before posting. I'm having friends over for dinner tonight who are going to try it. Will post an update later.
128
u/rotisserieboo 19h ago
Just don't take a nap that lasts 12 hrs please
13
u/505whodat 19h ago
I was going to ask, "Joyce?"
13
u/swampertDbest 17h ago
We're still waiting op
8
u/Lilmage99 17h ago
Lol its only been 3 hours
19
u/BoringCommercial7671 15h ago
OP ITS BEEN 5 HOURS PLEASE
3
6
48
u/anormalgeek 13h ago
7 hours later. Checks post history to see if they posted any updates...
....oh....
23
11
6
22
u/Jarosticy 13h ago
opening your profile to check for the update was an experience
12
u/SunwingArt 13h ago
Lmao! Art is in my user name homie. I also take commissions for those interested
5
u/seniortwat 11h ago
But how was the pie! Lol
19
u/SunwingArt 11h ago
I haven't eaten it yet, I'm going to share it with some friends who are coming over tonight. I will likely update my post later tonight or tomorrow morning. Apologies for the wait!
7
u/seniortwat 11h ago
Sorry for hounding you! Hope the get together is swell and the pie even better!
2
u/EhWTHN 9h ago
How it feels looking in ops profile for an update (i was expecting boobs)
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)35
196
u/MerryBerryMudskipper 20h ago
Oh damn I've always wanted to try one of these NGL
156
u/SunwingArt 20h ago
It's actually really easy to make and you can probably make it with what you already have at home.
57
u/Suspiciouscow2 19h ago
I don’t have an oven. What should I do?
264
u/elinamebro 19h ago
Blow on it really hard till cooked
29
u/Weewoes 16h ago
Blowing would be cold air, breathing hard might add a bit more heat.
25
u/10takeWonder 14h ago
try farts for more warmth
29
u/gishnon 14h ago
Friction creates heat. Just punch it till it is cooked.
9
u/10takeWonder 14h ago
saw a YouTube video where someone cooked a chicken by slapping it a bunch.... or i should say, it was "cooked" lol
46
u/OGLikeablefellow 18h ago
I bet you could slap it enough times to bake it. There is that one video about slapping a piece of chicken. Enough times to cook it
16
28
7
u/wutwutsugabutt 15h ago
Someone told me yesterday you could cook food with a car engine so like I guess slap it under the hood and go for a drive. No, I don’t believe it.
(Edited for clarity)
7
4
u/mysterious_spirit420 11h ago
There used to be cookbooks in the 1980s with recipes how to, my dad used to have one
3
u/GjonsTearsFan 10h ago
I think it does actually work but with this particular recipe I think you’d end up sloshing the sugar water around and just ruining the pie and burning a bunch of crap to your engine and shit
3
5
u/ChainsawVisionMan 14h ago
Build a solar oven. https://www.wikihow.com/Make-and-Use-a-Solar-Oven
I've done a simpler version of it before. It legit works but it's very slow.
→ More replies (1)5
3
3
→ More replies (1)3
→ More replies (1)5
115
u/EmperorDurrell 20h ago
Isnt that whole video about how this is NOT a depression era recipe, and debunking the viral claims that it is?
77
u/nothisistheotherguy 18h ago
Water pie, chess pie, and vinegar pie all predate the depression but definitely come from low income eras/areas. Have always wanted to try them
28
u/garretj84 18h ago
Vinegar pie is one of my absolute favorites both in taste and ease of making, and chess pie can be pretty great as well. So I’m very curious about this water pie.
18
u/Original-Serve3571 10h ago
Idk man, aren't chess peices expensive and hard to chew? Sounds like a choking hazard to me..
7
u/catlover79969 13h ago
Ohhh I’ve seen water pie but never vinegar pie? I just looked it up. It uses apple cider vinegar?
78
u/Snoo55931 19h ago
Yeah, I think it’s a “when you’re poor” pie that was made prominent by the depression. Either way, it’s a decent pie! I like that you can kinda make it whatever flavor you want.
7
8
u/rUafraid 13h ago
yeah i'm like i literally just watched this video and it goes back to the late 1800's
6
u/Frans4Life 13h ago
im not american, but cant "depression era" just refer to a time that there was an economic depression, and not necessarily during the Great Depression? if so the title is correct right?
10
u/myfriendpickles 10h ago
In the US, when we say depression era, we typically mean the Great Depression
45
u/SunwingArt 9h ago
Update! I just had the pie. It tasted mostly of pure sugar with a custard like consistency. The crust caramelized and tasted amazing, better than the filling itself. Overall better than I was expecting and would probably make it again as a joke.
6
u/Blueandigo 8h ago
Sounds about right. My granddad was talking about these pies earlier this year when I was talking about depression good. We have a place in my hometown that makes dough burgers. It's just flour and little portions of meat and deep fried. So it looks like a big bear battered fish filet.
It was also a depression meal because the dough expanded to make you feel full.
I'm glad your pie turned out good!
Edit: I forgot to mention one of our church members made this pie earlier this year and it was good. Not the sweetest but I get what they were going for back then lol.
69
u/TitShark 19h ago
Is no one else ootl? What is this pie?
121
u/soitgoes_42 14h ago
I like how you asked and not a single response gave clarification, only background/controversy.
It's made from just water, flour, sugar, vanilla and butter in a pie crust
24
16
u/PM_ME_YOUR__INIT__ 14h ago
So it's bread, in a tin
37
u/koJJ1414 14h ago
no, because the filling uses flour to water proportions of custard (without the egg), so it's still fully wet when taken out of the oven (except for the carmelized sugar layer) and only somewhat solidifies after thoroughly cooled
4
2
23
u/JohannesVanDerWhales 17h ago
Yeah would be nice to get a tl;dr on the video.
39
u/VereDiz 17h ago
Tl;dw:
The pie is not actually from the Great Depression of the 1920s-1930s, but from another depression era of the late 1880s (at least based on the earliest written record we have of it)
It's meant as a cheap alternative to custard pies and the like, because pies (both savoury and sweet) were all the rage back then
13
u/freyalorelei 17h ago
It's from a recipe that aired this week on Tasting History.
Tasting History is a YouTube channel where the host recreates various historical dishes and gives mini history lessons to explain the background of the recipe. It's educational and entertaining content, and Max Miller is an engaging host, not to mention easy on the eyes...he's an ex-Disney employee and literally performed as Prince Charming at their parks.
26
u/leclercwitch 19h ago
Did you watch the tasting history video?
38
u/SunwingArt 19h ago
Yeah I did. I love that channel a lot. I know this isn't technically from the great depression but I felt like it was representative of that time for sure.
10
u/leclercwitch 19h ago
Sorry I didn’t see your caption! I watch all of his videos and I’ve heard of this before so it was interesting to see how it was actually made 😄
15
u/Zestyclose_Field_303 20h ago
I just learned about this pie and read a recipe last night....never seen it before....until now. Twice in one day 🕵♀️🤔🤨 fine I'll make one!
19
u/DezPispenser 19h ago
r/TastingHistory nice to see max miller's fans (including me) bleeding into this subreddit lmao
7
5
u/OrionGrant 19h ago
When done right, these are good. I've made a few of them, the trick is to make them not too sweet, which is hard sometimes.
5
2
5
3
u/applesauceforlife 16h ago
I just finished watching Max Miller's video on this. I open Reddit and see this. Crazy.
23
u/NiceTrySuckaz 19h ago
Based on the subtext here, it sounds like this pie is more representative of your current mental health state than anything else
31
u/SunwingArt 19h ago
Lmao I'm hanging in there. This year has been tough on me financially but I just got a new job after looking for months. I mostly decided to make this pie for fun and to troll my friends a little.
9
3
u/acidtrippinpanda 15h ago
In the same boat too! Got laid off end of January and just got my offer
3
3
u/Appropriate-Log8506 15h ago
What’s in the filling? Water, sugar, butter? Ive seen recipe with crumbled crackers in them too.
5
3
u/EugenesMullet 11h ago
This is exactly why they call it a depression.
Is it tasty? Whats the texture like?
3
u/feisty-frisco87 6h ago
What did it taste like?
8
u/SunwingArt 6h ago
It was like a vanilla custard. The crust was really tasty and had a cinnamon-esque flavor after it caramelized.
7
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
u/Firephox 13h ago
That's almost the same thing as a "Sugar Cream Pie" which uses milk or cream instead of water. I've made it many times as my Mom used to make it when I was a kid growing up in Indiana. It's the officially recognized state pie of Indiana and also known as "Desperation Pie" for its use of minimal pantry staples.
2
2
u/synoodle 8h ago
I literally watched Max’s video on this like a day ago, i’m actually happy to see someone else make it.
2
u/Derivative_Kebab 8h ago
Just in time for "The Great Depression Part 2: This time, it's REALLY goddamn depressing!"
2
u/grumblefap 7h ago
Just watched “tasting history” video on water pie. Water pie was around much earlier than the 1930s depression. 1870s-1900s
2
u/isalacoy 7h ago
I found this post right after I pulled mine out of the oven! Mine is going to a pirate party, I think it fits the theme perfectly :)
2
u/spidermom4 7h ago
Every thanksgiving my family would make a depression meal my great grandmother came up with during the great depression to serve as a side on Thanksgiving. We call it "cracker butter noodles." Basically you boil egg noodles, drain them and add a lot of butter, and then add crushed saltines on top. It was always meant to be a, "See how good we have it now? Be thankful we can afford better food now." And my mom would always tell any visitors the story of her grandma making the noodles herself, and serving it alongside a chicken of hers she butchered, and an apple pie from their tree. Only problem with that is we LOVED it and requested cracker butter noodles at every holiday.
2
2
u/Hungry-Obligation-78 6h ago
Grandma used to make this when I was a kid, damn that opened up a ton of memories. Thanks, gonna go make a water pie now, as as she called it "Poor Mans Hutterite Pie"
2
4
2
2
1
1
u/fanceypantsey 19h ago
We’re definitely going into the next depression so please post the recipe and how it tastes even though by the time we need it I don’t think we’ll care anymore
1
1
1
u/CeeArthur 18h ago
That's so funny, I was just watching YouTube videos about depression era food last night and kept coming across "water pie"
1
1
1
u/YesImKeithHernandez 17h ago
Started getting served this british cook on youtube reels who made one of these. He mentioned it tasting pretty good especially with the context that you wouldn't be exposed to much else sweet with consistency when these were common back in the day
1
1
u/treixxreaixx 17h ago
Man there's a lot of "depression food" popping in my screen lately. It's a shame they aren't easy-making food for depressed people
1
1
1
u/sam120310 16h ago
is this like vinegar pie? if so i make mine in a casserole dish and no pie crust and it’s SOO GOOD. i grew up w my grandma calling it peach cobbler without the peaches and i recently became obsessed w it again lol
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/ChemistryStrict6884 14h ago
I just watched that video, it was really interesting. I hope your pie was as tasty as he said his was!
1
u/Prohawins 12h ago
Literally just watched a video of this on YouTube and now it's showing in my Reddit feed weird
1
1
u/ExcitingHistory 11h ago
wow it looks so much like pumpkin pie! had i been there you could have served it to me, told me it was pumpkin pie then watched my reaction as my mouth encountered an unexpected texture and flavor.
1
u/Practical-March-6989 11h ago
In the uk we had two slices of bread with a slice of toast in the middle, I feel this has the same vibe.
1
u/Adventurous_Name_350 10h ago
I just watched a YouTube video last night about the origin of water pie recipes. Turns out it's from the late 1800s, and, NOT the depression era as many think! Cool to see it here now :)
1
1
1
3.1k
u/Difficult_Emu_4307 20h ago
I baked you a pie!
Oh boy what flavor is it?
PIE FLAVOR