Humble Pies

First step: Remove the rubber band from the seal. Then, detach the paper label featuring an assurance that the little jar’s contents are ready to eat. Gently remove the jar’s seal and fabric, and grab a spoon. With the first bite, it’s obvious that the Humble Pies’ rich, down-home flavors and comforting crust are a source of pride for owner Beth Bentley.

“I started making pies a couple of years ago for my husband, Chris,” Bentley says. “Then my daughter Emma told me about pies in a jar she saw at a farmers’ market, and I decided I would try to make them. I figured it out in September, and I just love them. I think they’re so cute!” Bentley bakes her signature pies in 4- and 8-ounce glass jars. Each delicious pie costs $4 to $7. Humble Pies come in a variety of flavors, including cherry, apple, blueberry, peach, strawberry-rhubarb and assorted combinations of each fruit, including the spectacular strawberry-blueberry. Each features the freshest local fruit possible, and Bentley adds a spin to the classic version.

“I love my pies, but I want them to be different, too,” Bentley says. “I use these big, dark cherries and add a little almond. Or with my apple pie, I’ll use cloves. I’ll put something different in there and see how that flavor profile works, and my husband tells me what he thinks. He’s probably had 700 Humble Pies at this point.”

Bentley bakes her pies the day before they’re delivered, so they’re as fresh as possible. She gets comfort in kneading pie dough and perfecting pie fillings. Baking pies distracts her from the chronic pain of chiari malformation, a physical brain disorder she was diagnosed with more than two decades ago.

“I was diagnosed in 1990, and I had brain surgery in 2000,” Bentley says. “I learned to make pies because I needed something to do besides sitting around and feeling sorry for myself. Now, I’m working on getting me better and making dang good pies.”

To order Humble Pies, visit humblepiesinajar.com.