Pies & Baking

Fruit that holds its shape and keeps its flavor when you bake with it. Everything here scored 6 or higher out of 10 for pies and baking. Fruit that cooks down instead of holding together is under Sauce & Butter.

More about fruit for pies and baking

Montmorency tart cherry got our top pie score, 10 out of 10. Balaton tart cherry, Northern Spy apple, Italian plum, Golden Russet Bosc pear and rhubarb all scored 9.

Tart cherries keep things simple. Montmorency, Balaton, Evan's Bali and Meteor are all self-fertile, so one tree will crop. In colder spots, Evan's Bali scored 8, took -42°F near Bozeman and is rated to zone 2b. Meteor (8) is rated to zone 3, and Balaton and Montmorency to zone 3b. Browse all our tart cherry trees.

For pie apples in cold country, Haralson, Goodland and Gravenstein scored 8 and are rated to zone 2b, and Prairie Spy scored 8 and is rated to zone 3. Like all apples, they need a pollenizer, so check the pollination maps. Rhubarb needs no pollination at all, and deer seldom do much damage to it.

Shrubs earn a spot too. Serviceberry and Juliet dwarf cherry scored 8 and are rated to zone 2. Gooseberries like Hinnomaki Red, Invicta and Pixwell scored 8 as well, and deer rarely bother them. Black walnut scored 8 for the nuts. Fruit that cooks down soft is over in Sauce & Butter.

Questions we get

Which cherry is good for pie?

Montmorency, the classic pie cherry, scored 10 out of 10 for pies and baking. Balaton scored 9, and both are rated to zone 3b.

What apples hold their shape in pie?

Northern Spy scored 9 for pies and baking. Belle de Boskoop, Haralson, Goodland, Gravenstein, Prairie Spy and Spokane Beauty scored 8.

Can you grow rhubarb in a cold climate?

Yes. Our rhubarb bundle is two selections that have taken -30°F to -40°F in western Montana. It's rated to zone 2, needs no pollination, and you cut it May into June.

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