This easy fresh strawberry pie can make any day feel like a sunny summer day. This homemade pie is piled high with juicy strawberries and topped with a sweet whipping cream that will make your mouth water. Perfect Time of the Year to Make a Fresh Strawberry Pie
Roll your pie dough and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the crust to a half inch overhang. Tuck the edges under and crimp the edges for a pretty edge. Dock the pie crust with a fork on the bottom and sides. You might be wondering what docking means. It simply poking holes in the dough so that it does not puff up during baking.
Line the inside of the crust with parchment paper, then fill with dried beans or baking weights. In a pre-heated 400-degree Fahrenheit oven, bake for 16-18 minutes, until the edges of the crust are a light golden color.
Remove the pie weights and parchment paper, brush all over with heavy cream or a whisked egg and return to the oven and bake another 10-12 minutes. This will help create a barrier between the pie filling and the crust, thus reducing the chance of having a soggy crust. Let cool to room temperature.
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water stir until smooth. Heat to boiling and cook for approximately 2 minutes or until thickened. (stir the entire time boiling).
Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Let sit until room temperature to cool. Approximately 20 minutes.
Wash, dry, and cut strawberries. Arrange on baked pie crust.
Once the gelatin is cool, pour over the strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until the gelatin is set. Approximately 1 hour.
I have had strawberry pies like this where a gelatin was used, and it makes a watery and soggy crust. That is because the gelatin is not firm, and it soaks into the crust. Firming up the pie filling keeps this crust from turning soggy.Additionally, baking the crust with a light brushing of whisked egg or heavy cream helps seal the crust. This creates a barrier between the pie filling and the pie crust.I have purposely had a pie in the refrigerator for two days just to see what would happen with the crust. My crust was still great after two days. To me, this helps this easy recipe be a go-to recipe.
Why is my strawberry pie runny?
This is the complaint I see most often and most of the time it’s because the filling was not cooked enough, or the filling was not cool before adding to the pie crust and berries.This fresh strawberry pie is not baked in the oven once the filling is added. Therefore, it is important to fully cook the filling on the stovetop.This recipe calls uses cornstarch to create a very thick filling, so that your pie will set and slice nicely when chilled. However, it is important to note that the cornstarch needs to be dissolved first in a cold liquid, then heated to its boiling point. This helps in creating the thickening power of the cornstarch.Further, make sure that the mixture comes to the full boil and cook for the entire time that the recipe recommends. The process of cooking the mixture also helps in reducing the liquid in the filling, which results in a thicker pie filling too.Once the mixture is removed from the heat, the strawberry flavored gelatin is added and stirred until it is all incorporated. This also helps to thicken this pie filling.
Can a Strawberry Pie be Made Ahead of Time?
I highly recommend making this fresh strawberry pie recipe the day you are going to serve it. Once the pie has had an hour to chill and set, it is ready to eat. It is best eaten the day it is made.
How Long Will a Strawberry Pie Last?
Covered and refrigerated, it will hold up nicely for 1-2 days. After that, the crust might become a bit soggy. However, it is safe to eat up to 5 days. The quality of the pie is just not the same as the first day or two after it is made.