Fresh Strawberry Pie

There is a recipe for a pie very similar to this in the old Fannie Farmer Baking Book. It calls for a regular pie crust made with butter (blind baked). About 3 cups of fresh strawberries crushed and cooked with 3T cornstarch, a cup of sugar and a T. Lemon juice. Cooked until thick and cooled. Then mixed with about 3 cups of fresh, sliced strawberries. No strawberry preserves. Serve with whipped cream. I have also made this with blueberries. You cannot go wrong. It is easy and so delicious.

This is similar to the strawberry pie we’ve always made, but the addition of salt and acid (lemon juice) deepened and balanced the flavor. One change that protects against a soggy crust (if it miraculously doesn’t get eaten the first day) is to spread 4oz of softened cream cheese on the crust before the filling. It works with regular pie crust too. Fresh. Rich. Perfect.

I’ve made this with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and fresh peaches. I just changed the jam to match the fruit.

Plan to make this tomorrow. I know it will be wonderful because the filling is the same recipe I use for our favorite 5 star blueberry pie. With blueberries, they don’t need mashing or jam, but I do add 1 T of butter at the end with the lemon juice.

I followed the recipe exactly as written and thought the result was tremendous. Perfectly balanced, bright and intense fruit flavor, delicious and easy crust. Don't skip the lemon juice as it adds some needed acid to keep this from being cloyingly sweet. There is a lot of filling here for a 9" pie pan, but I liked how it sat up high like a diner's dessert display. This one is a keeper: easy to pull off, visually appealing and really tasty.

(cont’d) For those who don’t want cream cheese in their pie, a light painting of the inside of the unbaked crust with lightly beaten egg white, allowed to dry, has always kept any filling I’ve made from soaking into the crust.

Loved this! Have made it 3 times in one month. The second time I made it, I left the sugar out of the crust. Also, since my strawberries were very sweet already, I only used 1/8 cup of sugar in the filling to let the flavour of the strawberries shine through.

Looking at options for the shortbread crust I first looked at making homemade cookies as a cost-saving option, as the cookies for the crust might cost up to $10 at the grocery. Then it hit me - Pecan Sandies, i.e., shortbread cookies with the bonus of pecan bits. A more than adequate package of great store-brand cookies ran less than $2 at ALDI. The result was fantastic!

Is it necessary to put additional sugar in a crust that is made from cookies?

One of the best pies ever! I used these suggestions: 1. Per Susan--I omitted the strawberry jam and used 2+ cups of strawberries, 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp cornstarch, 1 Tbsp lemon juice (more to taste), zest of 1/2 lemon. Use your less ripe strawberries here. Cook as recipe directs, cool before adding fresh cut strawberries (4 cups used). 2. Per Laurikay--spread 4 oz cream cheese on the bottom of the cooled piecrust (used reg. crust) before filling--YUM! Use standard 9" pie pan--not deep dish.

As long as you chill it the requisite amount of time, it is nice and firm. Easy to make the day before. I had no problem with a soggy crust. Make sure you bake the crust long enough, and that it is cool before you add the filling (I stuck it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so).

This is similar to the strawberry and blueberry pies from a favorite restaurant, now closed (we hope not forever) by the pandemic. Their secret is a very thin layer of sweetened cream cheese applied to the bottom of the crust before adding the berries. It helps as a moisture barrier as well as adding a welcome tang and richness.

This is such an easy and delicious dessert. I used Lorna Doone cookies and the crust was great. Quality of strawberries makes or breaks this pie. Fortunately local strawberries are plentiful right now.

I made this and I really loved the shortbread crust... otherwise, I know it's sacrilegious , but fresh berries folded into almost cool strawberry jello, replace the water the jello with lemon lime soda, add two teaspoons of cornstarch and into the fridge overnight, top with whipped cream and nothing tastes fresher or better....and you can make it sugar free and gluten free pie crusts work just fine....... haters hold back your comment, I know it will be hard to do. Peace Out

I made this pie for weekend visitors, with no changes other than to add some grated lemon zest to the boiling strawberries, to rave reviews. A few smaller strawberries can be left whole and upright to make the appearance a little prettier if serving the whipped cream on the side. It’s an easy dessert for early summer when strawberries are delicious and plentiful.