How to Keep Fruit Tarts from Becoming Soggy: Key Techniques

Fruit tarts are one of those things that everyone loves, especially since there are so many different varieties. Most fruits can top a tart, meaning that most people can find something they’ll like. The freshness and flavor of the fruit combines with the buttery crust and the rich, smooth filling, and each bite is a celebration, a burst of flavor and texture in the mouth.

Think, for instance, of a spring fruit tart with walnuts and apricots. You bake the pastry, make a delicious filling, and top it with fruits and nuts. There’s a variety of flavors and a strong crunch from the walnuts. The apricots are chewy and have a strong texture. It’s colorful and lively to look at and delicious to eat. That's the particular magic of fruit tarts. They win hearts.

But often, these tarts run into a problem -- they get soggy. The filling seeps through the crust and the bite just isn’t the same anymore. Its charm is lost. It might even collapse entirely, making the eating experience deeply stressful and annoying. Your efforts are hopes are all dashed. But we’re here to the rescue. With a few smart techniques, you can keep your fruit tarts crisp and strong. So let’s get into it.

The crust

The foundation of a tart is its crust, and not all crusts are created equal. For fruit tarts, opt for a pate sucree or sweet tart dough, which is essentially a sweet pastry that’s sturdier and more biscuit-like than your normal pie crusts. The extra sugar and egg yolk content in them makes the dough less prone to absorbing moisture from the filling and helps in retaining its structure.

It’s also important to be patient with the dough during the making process. Make sure you’re working with dough that’s been chilled beforehand. After it’s rolled out, chill it again, for at least 30 minutes. And once you’ve placed it in the tart tin, chill it yet again, before baking it. This helps because cold dough means less shrinkage and the cold dough will also bake more evenly. Essentially, you’ll have a sturdier dough.

The baking

You need to blind bake your crust, which means baking your crust before you add the filling inside it. Just place the pastry in the tart tin, line it with parchment paper or foil, and fill it up with baking beans, rice or lentils. This adds weight to the tart underneath, meaning it will bake more evenly. Bake at 350F or 175C for about 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s time to stop baking when the edges are lightly golden. Then remove the weights and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the base is firm and golden. This is called blind baking, and it ensures that your tart won’t collapse under the filling.

The aftercare

Once you’ve blind baked your crust, it’s time to add another layer of protection to the tart, adding another layer of food that keeps it strong. Make an egg white glaze, which is basically an egg white that has been lightly beaten. And brush the pie with the glaze. Then put it back in the oven for 2 minutes. The glaze solidifies around the tart, making it stronger. The glaze also acts like a layer of protection -- to melt the crust, the filling must first make its way through the strong, solidified glaze. If you’re looking for a vegetarian alternative, consider melting a few squares of chocolate and brushing that on the crust instead of the egg glaze. The latter doesn’t just keep the tart strong; it also adds a chocolatey flavor to each bite. And the browned tart also looks interesting, an added bonus.

The filling

Fruit tarts often use creamy fillings like vanilla pastry cream, whipped mascarpone or an almond frangipane. While they’re delicious, they can be a problem if they are too wet. To beat this, there are a few things you can do. One option is to let your pastry cream cool completely before spreading it in the tart shell, if that’s what you’re using. The cold makes it sturdy. If you’re using whipped cream or mascarpone, remember to stabilize it with a bit of gelatin or cornstarch. This will help it hold its structure and not melt through. Also, as a general rule, avoid using curds or fillings that are runny, unless you are serving the tart to be eaten immediately.

The toppings

It’s a fruit tart, so of course you’re going to top it with fruit chunks. But remember to make sure there’s not much moisture in the chunks. Gently but thoroughly pat the fruits with dry tissue and make sure they are as dry as possible. The less juicy the fruit, the less chances of moisture seeping through into the tart.

Also keep in mind that small berries like blackberries and raspberries release less moisture so they are more apt options for toppings. If your tart is made with a juicy fruit, besides pat drying, ensure you’ve sliced the fruit in very thin slices. This way, less moisture will be let out. Try to avoid the really wet fruits like watermelon altogether. If you’re using canned fruits, place them in a sieve and let the excess liquid drain out before using.