1The apple pie is a mouth-watering treat.
2This pie's popularity has been centuries in the making.
3It dates back to the 14th century
4when countries like England, Denmark, and Sweden developed slightly different versions,
5all leaving fans hungry for more.
6Today apple pie is mass produced to meet demand,
7so you can throw away your rolling pin and let the folks at the factory do all the work.
8To make the filling, they empty loads of apple slices into a huge steam-heated kettle.
9These apples are a firm and tart type and have been organically grown.
10They add honey and apple juice,
11and the apple slices simmer in the liquids while mixing blades gently blend the ingredients.
12And with the slices now partially cooked,
13they spice up the mix with a generous dash of cinnamon.
14To thicken it to a syrupy sweetness, they add tapioca flour.
15The blades fold the dry ingredients into the mix as the apple slices continue to cook.
16The fruit softens and releases juices.
17The liquids thicken to a syrupy consistency.
18When the apple slices are lightly browned, this filling mix is done.
19These brown and syrupy slices are now prepared and ready for the pastry shell.
20The shell starts with chilled premium-grade butter. It's the creamiest.
21Organic and 100% whole wheat flour is the next ingredient in this high-fiber pastry recipe.
22They pour a measured amount of honey into the pastry mix to sweeten it.
23They add ice-cold water.
24It's cold to keep the butter from melting too quickly,
25and that means the crust will turn out flaky.
26Inside the pastry mixer, a dough hook blends and kneads the ingredients
27until they congeal into dough.
28The dough is moist but not too wet and sticky.
29Inside an apparatus called a sheeter, a mechanized roller presses the dough into sheets.
30A worker drapes a sheet of dough over groupings of four paper pie plates,
31which then move forward on a carousel.
32Meanwhile overhead, that syrupy apple filling funnels into a device called a depositor.
33The depositor pumps the filling into the uncooked pie crusts
34as they circle around on the loop conveyor.
35This automated system fills every second grouping of crusts right on cue.
36Now full of sweet fruit, a worker tops them with more dough,
37giving the pies the upper crust.
38Like a big revolving cookie cutter, a rolling die punch cuts the dough around the pie plates,
39separating them, trimming, and crimping the edges all in one action.
40Pedestal lifts hoist the pies, and a worker transfers them to the next conveyor.
41They finish one group of pies and then start another for a continuous cycle of pie production.
42The pies now head into the baking zone.
43Here workers arrange the pies on baking sheets.
44They slice holes in the top crust to vent steam and prevent fruit juices from overflowing.
45They stack the pie-laden baking sheets on racks in a convection oven.
46The racks spin for a more even baking job.
47They send one apple pie from each batch to the quality assurance department.
48Here the inspector takes in the aromas from the freshly baked pie.
49She examines its form and compares it to an existing perfect pie.
50Slicing it confirms that the crust is flaky.
51But does it have that melt-in-your-mouth flavor?
52There's only one way to verify that.
53If the quality assurance people approve the pie,
54then the whole batch moves forward.
55They flash freeze the pies then seal them in cellophane.
56Suctioning arms open cardboard containers, and a worker slides in the pies.
57Rollers close the pre-glued flaps.
58They produce more than 2,100 apple pies every hour at this factory.
59Once the job is done, there are big decisions to be made like one scoop or two.
60One slice or the whole pie.
61Perhaps it's best just to dig in and decide later.