It’s mid-April here in Cajun country. Do you know what that means?
The strawberries are ripe and ready for pickin’
The Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival was this past weekend. It’s a very important event for the local community and farmers in the area. Unsure if I would be able to attend the festival, I knew I had to make something with fresh, local strawberries.
How about a strawberry pie? Uhm, yes please!
First step – Find the Strawberries.
After work one day, I stopped by our local produce stand to see if I could find some. Of course, the lady in front of me had just bought the last box of Louisiana strawberries. The employees said with the festival going on this weekend that most stores would be sold out…. Great.
I was determined. “Hey, maybe I’ll get lucky at Albertsons?” I quickly ran into the produce section and looked around but all I could see were California strawberries. I was just about to turn around and walk out when I noticed one container of strawberries that looked different from the others. Upon closer examination, they were, in fact, Louisiana strawberries. Score!! And they weren’t just any Louisiana strawberries, they were from Liuzza Land Farm, which just so happens to be where Preston and I got married. Swoon.
This strawberry pie was meant to be.
Second step – Make the Pie
A few days later, on Saturday, the clouds rolled in and the rain soon followed. Instead of tucking into a good book or watching television, I had a surge of creative energy. I needed to use my hands to create something. How about that strawberry pie?
I began with a homemade pie crust. Flour flying everywhere. My hands touching the dough. The smell of fresh strawberries. It was like the woes of the world melted away. What a perfect way to spend this rainy day.
You’ll notice in this recipe that I used honey instead of sugar. That’s because I’ve really been trying to break free from the white sugar ties that bind me. White sugar is no bueno. You can definitely taste the honey, but to me, it’s delicious. Although, I did use a small amount of white sugar in the whipped cream. Oops.
Tip#1: If you don’t like the taste of honey, you could substitute maple syrup or dehydrated whole cane sugar.
Tip #2: Prebake your own pie crust. It tastes so much better than store bought frozen piecrust garbage (Did I say that out loud?) I’ll post a homemade pie dough recipe soon and link it here.
I hope you enjoy this homemade, fresh strawberry pie.
And just another reminder to buy local food when you can.
Bon Appétit
Louisiana Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Pie Dish 9"
- 1 hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 quarts fresh strawberries hulled and halved
- 1 prebaked 9" pie crust
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cup water
Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- First, place half of your strawberries into the pre-baked pie crust
- Add the remaining strawberries to a pot and cook over medium-high heat
- In a separate bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Add cornstarch slurry to pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the honey. Use a slotted spoon or potato masher to mash the strawberries. Simmer until the mixture thickens.
- Once the mixture is nice and thick, turn the burner off and let it cool
- Pour over the fresh strawberries in the pie crust
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight
- When it's ready, slice and top with whipped cream
Whipped Cream
- Combine heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl.
- Using a mixer, beat on high until peaks form