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5 cups (2½ pints) fresh raspberries or 2 pounds frozen raspberries (do not thaw)

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon salt

Rhubarb

2 pounds fresh rhubarb, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 large stalks), or 2¼ pounds sliced frozen rhubarb (three 12-ounce packages—do not thaw)

1½ cups sugar

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest

¼ teaspoon salt

Sour Cherry

2¼ pounds fresh sour cherries, pitted (about 5 cups), plus the juice from the pitting, or 2 pounds frozen pitted sour cherries (do not thaw)

1¼ cups sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Strawberry

1½ quarts (1 quart plus 1 pint) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 tablespoon bourbon or brandy, optional

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

¼ teaspoon salt

Strawberry Rhubarb

1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

One 12-ounce package sliced frozen rhubarb or ¾ pound fresh rhubarb, peeled and thinly sliced

1¼ cups sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon salt

Sweet Cherry

2 pounds fresh sweet cherries (preferably Bing or Tartarian), pitted, plus the juice from the pitting, or 2 ¼ pounds frozen pitted sweet cherries (three 12-ounce packages—do not thaw)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

2 teaspoons lemon juice

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¼ teaspoon salt

While the filling rests, make one of the four crusts. Here, you have a decision. Make a single crust, line it into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim and crimp it as you will. Or make a double recipe and use half to form the bottom crust, reserving the other half in a ball under a dry kitchen towel.

In the end, the pie must be topped to protect the fruit. If you make a single crust, you’ll need to add a crumb topping. If you make a double crust, roll out the other half of the crust once the filling is in the shell.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust, mounding it toward the center but making sure that the fruit is evenly distributed. For a richer filling, dot with

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into very small pieces.

Top the filling with a second crust or one of the crumb toppings.

To make a top crust, dot your work surface with a few drops of water and lay a large piece of wax paper on top. Dust the paper lightly with flour, then place the other half of the pastry dough on top. Flatten the dough slightly with your palm, dust lightly with flour, and place a second sheet of wax paper over the top. Roll the dough out to a 10-inch circle. Peel off the top sheet of wax paper. Pick up the dough and the bottom piece of wax paper; turn them upside down on top of the pie. Center the rolled-out piece of dough, then peel off the wax paper. Crimp the top crust to the bottom by pinching the two together at the plate’s rim; work all the way around so there are no holes. Cut six or eight 2- or 3-inch slits in the top crust, working your way around the middle to create a starburst pattern.

Alternatively, do not place the dough on top of the pie; instead, roll it out, peel off the top layer of wax paper, and cut the top crust dough into strips with a pastry crimper or a pizza wheel. Lay these over the top of the pie, trimming to fit and pinching against the rim of the crust. Begin with 2 strips at the diameter of the pie, each placed 90 degrees from the other; then work down to smaller strips in each direction, spacing them about ½ inch apart and overlaying them this way and that, creating a lattice pattern. Make sure each strip is crimped to the crust’s edge so it doesn’t become dislodged and shrink while baking.

Or roll out the top crust as directed, peel off the top piece