I have a few questions questions about pie baking. Would appreciate any help.

What are the best apples for pie and how can you prevent pumpkin pie crust from being soggy or undercooked? I always bake my pumpkin at a higher temp for 15 min and also spread egg whites on bottom crust before baking, but the crust is still underdone.

Also is the lower third of oven the correct rack for pies?

Thanks