Description
This Strawberry Pie Filling recipe creates a luscious, homemade filling using fresh ripe strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, and a thickening agent. It offers a smooth and thick texture perfect for pies, tarts, or as a fruit topping. Quick to prepare with simple cooking steps, this filling can be refrigerated or frozen for convenient, delicious strawberry flavor all year round.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling Ingredients
- 1 quart (16 ounces) ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅓ to ½ cup (70-100 grams) sugar (adjust based on sweetness of strawberries)
- 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Puree Strawberries: Add ½ cup (3 ounces) of sliced strawberries to a blender with lemon juice and ½ cup water (omit water if using cornstarch), then blend until completely smooth to create the strawberry juice base.
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Juice: In a pot, mix the sugar, quick-cooking tapioca (or cornstarch), and salt. Pour in the blended strawberry juice and stir well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Cook the Filling: Heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil. If using quick-cooking tapioca, reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and tapioca pearls soften. For cornstarch, cook only until it thickens at the boil stage and do not simmer.
- Add Remaining Strawberries: Stir in the remaining sliced strawberries and cook, stirring frequently until the mixture returns to a simmer. Then remove from heat immediately to prevent overcooking.
- Cool the Filling: Transfer the hot filling into a wide container to cool quickly at room temperature.
- Store Appropriately: Once cool, transfer the filling into a jar. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months until ready to use.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 1 pint of strawberry pie filling; double ingredients for a full pie.
- Keep the amount of pureed strawberries constant at ½ cup when doubling the recipe for best consistency.
- You can pre-cook this filling for a no-bake pie or use uncooked filling directly in some pie recipes.
- Use quick-cooking tapioca for a classic texture or cornstarch for a smoother filling.
- Adjust sugar quantity depending on the sweetness of your strawberries to balance the flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup (about 60 ml)
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 10mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
