You will find this strawberry pie filling recipe from scratch as your favorite recipe when strawberries are in season. Makes homemade strawberry filling taste so fresh that you will never buy canned strawberry filling again.
Garnish the edges of the pie with fresh berries and you have a gorgeous presentation. All it needs is whipped cream.
So easy to make you will wonder why you waited so long to make it. Great for strawberry shortcake, a tasty strawberry topping over ice cream, strawberry cobbler and more…
I really enjoy berry picking. Do you know what the best part is? You get to pick the strawberries. No more bringing home another package of strawberries where most are either not ripe or mushy. They hide these under the pretty ones, don’t they?
Easy Strawberry Pie Filling Recipe from Scratch
5 cups (24 oz) washed, hulled and quartered strawberries (divided)
1/4 cup Arrowroot (or cornstarch*)
2/3 to 3/4 cups of white granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp pure almond extract (just a drop or two)
Measure two cups of prepped strawberries into a medium saucepan. Mash them with a potato masher or fork (I have even used a pastry blender – it worked) until chunky.
Do you like sweeter pie filling? That is why I show different amounts of granulated sugar. Also if the berries are not so sweet, you may use whatever amount you want until it tastes perfect to you.
Cover the strawberries with arrowroot (or cornstarch), granulated sugar, salt and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Mix the vanilla extract and almond extract into the cooled strawberry filling. Add the remaining strawberries and mix well. Pour into cooled pie crust and chill for 2 to 3 hours. You may top with whipped cream if you wish.
*Arrowroot vs Cornstarch
If you use Arrowroot you won’t have the cornstarch flavor and Arrowroot keeps whatever sauce you are making clear while cornstarch makes in opaque or cloudy.
Arrowroot is more translucent than cornstarch when baking and does not gel or weep when cooled. Use arrowroot for acidic baking (like pies).
Cornstarch is translucent and thickens when heated. It gels and weeps when cooled (poor thing). The power of the thickening diminishes with excessive heating. Use cornstarch for dairy based ingredients.
Strawberry Measures, Equivalents, and Substitutions
• 1-1/2 pounds = 2 pints or 1 quart
• 1 pint fresh strawberries = 1-1/2 to 2 cups sliced
• 1 pint = 12 large strawberries
• 1 pint = 24 medium strawberries
• 1 pint = 36 small strawberries
• 1 pint = 2-1/2 cups whole small strawberries
• 1 pint = 1-1/4 cups pureed
• 10 ounce package frozen = 1-1/2 cups
• 10 ounce package frozen in syrup = 1-1/4 cups
• 20 ounce package frozen whole = 4 cups
• 20 ounce package frozen whole = 2-1/2 cups sliced
• 20 ounce package frozen whole = 2-1/4 cups pureed
• 1 cup whole strawberries = 1/2 cup puree
• 4 ounces strawberries = 1 cup
from HomeCooking.about.com