Fresh Strawberry Pie

Last Saturday, Hubby and I headed West for our annual strawberry picking day in Western MA. I knew it was going to be the last day for strawberry picking since the season is coming to a close out here on the East Coast. When we arrived at Tougas Farms, Hubby was delighted to learn that it was also the first day of blueberry picking!

We stayed conservative with our picking since the strawberries were very ripe and I was concerned we wouldn’t be able to eat them quick enough. We brought 8 pounds of strawberries and 5 pounds of blueberries home. The blueberries got portions into ziplock bags and thrown in the freezer. The strawberries got washed and dried. Many of our little berries got eaten along the way…

After Hubby hulled and sliced the strawberries I started looking for something to make with them. Since they were so super ripe, I wanted a recipe that would really highlight their sweetness and flavor. This pie recipe does just that. It comes together in no time at all, with ingredients that I had around the kitchen. I used less sugar than the recipe called for since the strawberries were so ripe.

Another reason I wanted to make this recipe was that it gave me an excuse to try out my Cream Whipper. My mom got it for me for Christmas last year and I still hadn’t used it! It was a fun way to have freshly whipped cream in seconds.

Two Years Ago: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Strawberry Hand Pies, and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Bars
Three Years Ago: Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
Four Years Ago: Blueberry Muffins

Fresh Strawberry Pie

A simple strawberry pie that really highlights the fresh berries when they're at their ripest

Yield: 1 pie, Serves 12

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie crust, baked
2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/8 tsp salt
1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
2 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

Slice about 3 cups of the strawberries into quarters and place them in a medium bowl. Crush the berries with a potato masher or a fork; you should have about 1 1/2 cups crushed berries. Place them in a saucepan over medium heat with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.

Soften the gelatin in the cold water and set it aside.

Remove berry mixture from the heat and add the softened gelatin and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Cut the remaining berries into quarters, and gently fold them into the cooled cooked mixture (if you want, you can reserve some of the strawberries to arrange on top of the pie for a more decorative presentation). Pour the filling into the baked pie shell, and chill in the refrigerator until set, at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Serve with fresh whipped cream if desired.

Recipe from Sing for Your Supper, originally from Rustic Garden Bistro