Here’s a fun fact: Did you know strawberries are a member of the rose family? And that they are an ancient fruit, over 2000 years old? Our cultivated berries started out as wild childs…

Ancient Romans loved strawberries and found them a superior medicinal fruit. Strawberries contain a lot of Vitamin C, among other nutrients. Plus a good amount of fiber.

Today Matt Swaim, Sacred Heart Radio Sonrise Morning Show, and I talked about strawberries and their significance during Bible days. And strawberries represent the Sacred Heart of Jesus with their heart shape.

Now I have strawberries, too, but they’re planted in 2 big pots near the kitchen door for the little ones to pluck as they walk by, and I never get enough at one time to do much with. But I have a neighbor with a big patch and that’s where I get enough strawberries from to make pies.

So today I wanted to mix things up a bit. I fiddled around with several recipes to come up with two that I’m sharing today. 

I hope you find one that you love!

After sitting in the refrigerator several hours, I was able to slice the pie into nice wedge shaped pieces. 

HEAVENLY STRAWBERRY PIE

Ingredients

1 baked pie shell

5 or so cups strawberries, cut into halves or fourths if necessary, and measure after cutting up

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup cold water

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 cup whipping cream

Sugar to taste – start with 2 tablespoons or less

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, stir together 2 cups cut up strawberries and 3/4 cup sugar.

Whisk together the cold water, lemon juice and cornstarch. 

Pour this over the strawberries and sugar and give it a good stir. Cook and stir over medium het until thickened and bubbly, then cook and stir 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Gently fold 2 cups of the remaining berries into the chilled mixture. Spoon into pastry shell. Cover and chill 2 hours at least, or until firm.

Whip cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until soft peaks form.

Serve pie with whipped cream and a dollop of remaining berries (1 cup or so).

Can substitute raspberries. 

SENSATIONAL STRAWBERRY PIE

Seasonal, ripe juicy strawberries are stars here. 

You basically cook strawberries with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice to a jammy consistency, then stir in strawberry jam, though jam is optional. But I think it adds to the thickening power and flavor element of the pie.

After that cools, mix it with more strawberries. That’s it.

Now some readers said their berries were not juicy enough to stand alone in the cooking process so they had to add a little water. As I mentioned when I first shared this recipe, that’s perfectly OK.

Ingredients and instructions pie shell

Whatever suits your fancy – 8-9” plain pie crust, graham cracker, cookie crust.
Crust should be baked and cooled before filling. Can be done a day or so ahead.

Ingredients filling

6-7 cups strawberries (about 2 pounds), hulled and cut in halves or fourths 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Water if necessary – eyeball it

2 tablespoons or so strawberry jam (optional but good)

Instructions filling

Put 2-1/2 cups berries in a pan and smoosh down with a potato masher until berries are crushed. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice.

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly so mixture doesn’t burn, until cooked and very thick.  You may have to add a bit of water (a tablespoon or so) if it gets too thick to stir. This depends on the juiciness of the berries. It cooks in just a few minutes. 

It starts out looking opaque and pinkish, then when done it turns bright red and translucent.

Stir in jam if using. Add remaining berries.

Cool a bit and pour into prepared crust.

Put in refrigerator to set up, several hours or more.

To serve

With sweetened whipped cream, of course! 

Just beat 2 cups whipping cream with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 4-5 tablespoons confectioners sugar until it’s stiff.

I like to make swirls on pie around edges to decorate it, then pass rest of whipped cream so everyone can add more to their piece.

STRAWBERRY DETOX WATER

Want a healthy drink that hydrates and tastes yummy? Here you go! No real recipe but here’s how I do it:

Dice a few strawberries and muddle them in a glass to squish and release some juice.

Pour in 8 oz. water, and squeeze in the juice of a lemon or lime wedge. Add a few sprigs of fresh mint.

Let steep in refrigerator about an hour and enjoy. If not sweet enough, add some stevia, honey or a bit of sugar.