Recipe: Strawberry Pie

Cary, NC — I’ve been making strawberry pie for years now. The reason why is quite the story.

Mom’s Strawberry Pie Experience

It was my mom who told me about strawberry pie and who shared this recipe with me.

We both love the dessert, and we both love to make it. For my mom, though, this wasn’t always the case. In the 70’s, Mom worked as a waitress at a popular franchise.

Their specialty dessert? Strawberry pie.

Mom hated this strawberry pie. After evening church services, customers would come to the restaurant for just pie and coffee. This meant small tips and a lot of work for Mom (since strawberry pie was one of the dishes that the waitstaff were responsible for making).

The gelatin that makes up the pie came in huge, sticky tubs. The recipe was messy: mix the substance with strawberries, pour into a pie shell and top with whipped cream.

A Homemade Version

After leaving the restaurant, Mom didn’t think about strawberry pie for awhile. Then, in the 80’s, a woman she worked with passed her this homemade version of the ever-popular dessert.

It’s the same pie that used to gross my mom out in her teenage years, but, in this version, you can make your own small batch of gelatin at home and wash and cap your very own fresh strawberries–which makes the pie sound a lot more delicious than it did in my mom’s stories.

Recipe

This recipe yields one pie. It’s easy-to-make and loaded with fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 box (3 oz.) of strawberry JELL-O
• 1-2 pints fresh strawberries
• 1 deep dish pie shell (pre-baked)
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

For the pie shell:

You can make your own pie shell from scratch or purchase one from the freezer or dairy case.

For the strawberry filling:

• Mix sugar and cornstarch together with your hands in a medium saucepan until well combined.
• Slowly stir in cold water. Mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Continue cooking until mixture is clear and begins to thicken.
• Remove from heat. Add strawberry jello to taste, staring with 1/3 to 1/2 a package.
• Mix well and allow to cool.

For the strawberries:

• While you’re waiting for the filling to cool, wash and cap at least one box of strawberries.
• Allow to dry. Try not to cut them unless they are very big.
• Place enough filling in the pie shell to cover the bottom. Fill it with strawberries.
• Pour the cooled filling over the strawberries, covering them evenly.
• Allow to sit in refrigerator for 1 hour. Slice, and top with whipped cream.

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Recipe by Jessica Patrick. Photo by Alicia Woodward.

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CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Thai Spices and Sushi in Preston Corners.