wives tale

I was attempting (only for the second time ever) to make a lemon meringue pie last night. The first was two weeks ago under the watchful eye of my grandmother and it still didn't really turn out. It tasted fabulous, but it was the first time I had madea baked crust ( I usually make berry or apple pies where you bake the crust with the fruit already in it) and one crust slumped down into the pan and the other puffed up b/c I forgot to prick the sides and the meringue was kind of flat.



So last night I had friends over and was trying to get the custard to set in an improvised double boiler ( I set a mixing bowl in a large pot of boiling water) and it would just not set! I even added more corn starch and it was still liquidy. I was really frustrated. My friend's husband offered to stir it for me while I made the meringue, which btw had beautiful peaks, but still was flat after baking. but anyway, this friends husband told me he had lots of experience stiring things while they were setting.His sisters would make him stir the mayonaise sauces if they were on their period becuase they believed it would spoil.

Weird, huh? I also found online someone whose mother wouldn't let her help in the making of strawberry jam while she was menstruating because the strawberries would spoil. I tried to find the origin of this myth, but was unsuccessful. Needless to say and you probably already assumed this, but it is that time of the month for me.

So is that why my custard wouldn't set? Of course not! Everything has a reason right? And here's my theory: My improvised double boiler did not transfer enough heat to the custard. I was using a pyrex bowl instead of a metal bowl and the custard just didn't get hot enough. As soon as I transfered the custard to a pan with direct heat it thickened right up, a little unevenly, but it did thicken. So next time I will try with a metal bowl to test my theory and I will let you know. And if I figure out where this wive tale originated I tell you that as well.



BTW the pie was yummy, a little runny, but yummy.