This Strawberry Pie is a must for every home baker this spring! The first time I made this I literally sat at the table with a spoon in one hand and the pie in the other. Why a spoon? The pie was still warm and very juicy, and I wanted to make sure to savor it all. I was very happy. It came out just as I wanted it to.
When I set out to research Strawberry Pie recipes I was surprised to find that the most popular version involves using Jell-O. I can never understand putting gelatin or pudding in pie and cake. Anyway, I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted it to be just like a Strawberry-Rhubarb pie but without the Rhubarb. I love Rhubarb but for some reason am not a fan of it mixed with Strawberries in a pie. But I know I am in the minority because at the bakery people asked for Strawberry-Rhubarb all the time. ALL THE TIME! It didn’t matter the time of the year—it was one of the most requested flavors behind good old Apple. Our Strawberry-Rhubarb was pretty spectacular, I have to say.
I initially thought that perhaps this pie wouldn’t turn out well because it’s just Strawberries. I worried it would be too watery or too sweet. But thankfully, it was perfect.
Baking Tips
When you make this pie, be sure to use Organic Strawberries. Strawberries are on the “Dirty Dozen” list put out by the Environmental Working Group. Choosing organic means choosing produce without pesticides. If you aren’t able to buy Organic, be sure to clean your strawberries well in a solution of water, baking soda and vinegar. Rinse well and let them dry before using them in pie making to prevent additional water from ruining the juices. Even Organic produce should be rinsed and dried before usage.
Also, it’s important when making berry pies not to slice the berries too thin. You really want berry chunks instead of berry slices. Otherwise the berries turn to mush upon baking.
When making pastry dough I always use real Wisconsin butter. I know the popular butter choice of pie makers is Kerrygold butter, which is made in Ireland. That’s a good one too because it’s made from grass fed cows. This will give you a wonderful, rich dough. Always remember that butter is taste–in everything you bake. Other fats, such as oil, shortening or lard, add moistness to cake or flakiness to pie. But those other fats do nothing to add flavor, which is why it’s so important to use butter in pie-making. I can immediately tell in tasting pie when someone has made what I call a Crisco-crust. It’s flakey, but it lacks flavor. An all butter crust will be tough so if you add 1/4 C your choice of shortening, it will add that flakiness you want. I have found that the combination of butter and shortening makes the perfect crust, and all of our customers at the bakery agreed. However, because I have stopped using vegetable shortening, I typically use lard, but you could also use Organic Coconut oil in its solid form.
The hardest part of making pie is the pie dough. The important thing to remember in baking is that practice makes perfect. I’ll be posting more tips on making dough in the future.
Final Thoughts
So use good butter, and make this pie! Then sit and eat it with a spoon and remember, I warned you!
This dessert is best when it’s fresh, but will stay good in your refrigerator for up to four days.. . .if it lasts that long.
