Strawberry Pie

Does your family look forward to garden fresh berries each spring? Well, here in the Midwest our gardens are typically bursting with strawberries during the month of June. Since the weather has been unseasonably warm recently, the berries in some areas were a few weeks early.

I love to use fresh strawberries for making family favorites such as jam, shortcakes, trifle, and pie. My “go to” recipe for strawberry pie is super simple and it brings out the natural, juicy flavor of the berries. Check out the recipe by clicking on the recipe name that is highlighted here in red — Strawberry Pie.

Reading over the recipe you’ll notice the strawberry gelatin in the filling adds flavor and bright red color, while the cornstarch and the gelatin act as thickeners. If you have time, make your own homemade pie crust, or use one of the refrigerated crusts you can purchase at the store. (It’s okay, I won’t tell!)

Tips For Diabetics — For those reducing sugar for family members with diabetes, you can make a few ingredient substitutions. Simply replace the sugar with a sugar substitute, such as Splenda. And, use a small box of sugar-free strawberry gelatin in place of the regular. The rest of the recipe remains the same.

In our family we also serve this pie at Christmas time. My grandma used to tuck some whole strawberries in the freezer for this purpose. Then she’d thaw and slice them to create this festive pie for a little taste of summer during the winter months.

I hope you and your family enjoy this pie as much as we do!  Happy Baking!

Karen Davis, Culinary Specialist, Taste of Home Cooking School