Nothing announces the arrival of summer quite like a generous slice of fresh strawberry pie, piled high with a mountain of fresh whipped cream. Here in Kentuckiana, strawberries are really in season starting in late May thru early June. It’s always fun to go to the local family farm and pick your own strawberries right from the field. The excitement builds knowing that as each berry goes into the basket, it will soon become a yummy pie.

A friend and former coworker shared her mother’s recipe for fresh strawberry pie with me. Her mom always made two of these pies to accommodate their family of nine (mother, father, six children, and a grandmother who lived with them). I’m sure there was not a crumb left. One taste of this cool and refreshing dessert and you’ll wish for an endless summer.

Make good food with gratitude,
Becky

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Yield:

• 6-8 slices (one 9 inch pie)

Prep Time:

• 20 minutes

Cook Time:

• 5 minutes

Total Time:

• 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 to 1½ pounds of fresh strawberries (washed, stemmed and sliced)

• 1 deep dish pie crust (9 inch, baked and cooled)

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 box Strawberry JELL-O (3oz)

• 1 cup of water

• 2 tablespoons of flour

• whipped cream (as desired for serving)

Directions:.

Prepare your 9 inch pie crust. If you bake one yourself, allow it to cool before adding any filling.

Wash, stem and slice 1 to 1 ½ pounds of fresh strawberries into a bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the following:

• 1 cup sugar

• 3oz. box Strawberry JELL-O

• 1 cup of water

Stir to mix; then add 2 tablespoons of flour.

Whisk together all ingredients until combined.

Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture boils. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place sliced strawberries in the baked pie crust. Pour cooled filling mixture over berries. Refrigerate several hours or overnight, until filling is set. Top with fresh whipped cream, if desired.

Tips and Tricks:

Start with a 3 quart saucepan. When your filling mixture is boiling for one minute, it has a tendency to “grow” in the pan. This will avoid boiling over.

The flour will mix in and dissolve as you whisk and heat the mixture.