Summer is a fun time for food and good eats. I grew up in Tennessee and loved going to Shoney’s restaurant for fresh strawberry pie. You know the one – a gooey glaze filled with fresh strawberries in a simple pie crust. I remember in my 20’s living in Nashville and driving like a mad woman to Shoney’s late one night because I had to have a piece of pie.
I really don’t like the stuff you can buy in stores to glaze your own pie. They’re filled with artificial colors and flavors with too much sugar. I’ve seen recipes online calling for 2 cups of sugar and a box of flavored gelatin. Nope that’s really too sweet for me. I still love strawberry pie, but I want a smarter, healthier piece of pie. One that tastes as good as it looks without upsetting my body.
Use your own recipe for the crust or buy one. Homemade is always better but not all of us are pastry chefs. I’ll admit my pie crusts leave a lot to be desired. My neighbor Vickie is a pie-crust Queen. Whether you buy pie dough or make homemade, you will need to bake the pie shell. This takes 20 to 30 minutes. Use a fork to prick the bottom of the pie shell to prevent the dough from bubbling up when baking. Add some aluminum foil or parchment paper to the bottom then weigh it down with rice, dried beans or pie weights. Bake until golden then remove the foil or parchment and brush the entire shell with egg wash and bake a little longer. The egg wash helps make the pie shell shiny and golden, and it also seals the bottom of the pie shell. This prevents the strawberry filling from making the crust soggy. Cool the pie shell before filling.
Strawberry Pie
Use organic when available
Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
- Pie crust
- 2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 5 cups fresh strawberries washed, hulled & quartered (24 oz)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Bake pie crust
- Let crust cool
- Place 2 cups strawberries in a pot and smash until chunky
- Add sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, & almond extract
- Taste and adjust sugar if necessary
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat
- Stir occasionally until thick about 3 to 5 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Let cool
- Fold in strawberries
- Spoon into pie shell
- Store in refrigerator until set at least 2 hours
- Serve with whipped cream
- Decorate with whipped cream and berries (optional)
Enjoy!
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Please see my Link Parties page for the parties where this post was shared.
I agree with you – I don’t enjoy a pie filling that is too sweet or has a pudding-like consistency – I like to taste the fruit! We are berrying later this week for huckleberries … my husband came up with his own pie filling recipe that is superb! Enjoy your week ahead!
I’d love to see his recipe for pie. I don’t get huckleberry here but I’d try with a different berry.
Hi Carol, I’ve never had a pie that was quite so strawberry! It looks and sounds good. Fresh strawberries are pretty hit and miss here and we only get decentish ones in April/May time. This is definately a recipe I would like to try though!
xx
It is fabulous and it’s really sad if you can’t get great fresh strawberries. For me they are one of the joys in life.
There’s nothing like a good Strawberry Pie, and I totally understand driving miles to get one. I love your recipe, much easier than a long journey and homemade is so much healthier too. Thank you so much for bringing this lovely recipe to the Hearth and Soul Link Party. Sharing, including on the Hearth and Soul Facebook page Have a lovely week!
I learned two things from this post. Poke holes in my pie shell before baking and seal said holes with an egg wash. Oh 3 things because I also learned that the egg wash will also make the pie crust look all shiny and pretty. Thanks for sharing your tips and this pie looks amazing.
That is one beautiful pie! I’d love it if you shared it at our What’s for Dinner party. http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-162/
thanks for asking Helen. I shared it but since it’s my food post this week I’ll have to go back and find an old post to share this weekend.
You can share as many food posts as you like!! You have some great ones! Thanks so much for joining us.
thanks!
Looks delicious!! I absolutely love fresh strawberry pie! Thanks for sharing at the Friday at the Fire Station link up!
I agree completely. Most commercial and other recipes are far too sweet for me. I can’t wait to give yours a try! It looks delicious!
Great recipe Carol and of course it is always better to make it at home than to buy the boxed brands.