strawberry pie

[Miss Jane]

Hi, I am having trouble getting fresh strawberry pie to set up. I have a client who wants to serve pies like her grandmother's at her wedding. She gave me her grandmother's recipe for Strawberry Pie that calls for strawberry jello and alot of sugar. Strawberry juice, cornstarch, sugar and jello all get boiled together for 5 minutes. The gel is then cooled and poured over fresh berries in a prebaked crust. Well, I had my doubts about this recipe. Boiling gelatin sounded wrong. Anyway, the pie did not set up. I tried adding the gelatin after cooking the cornstarch mixture. I tried using just cornstarch with Wayne Gisslen's Professional Baking recipe. It would not set. The most successful recipe was Paul Prudhomme's which calls for pureed strawbs with not much sugar and gelatin. This pie set fairly well, but the flavor was a little flat because I'm using California berries. The gel was not clear either (even though I strained the puree). I am also sure that the bride is going to want that strawberry jello flavor. I am hoping that someone besides the bride's grandmother has made this successfully and can give me some pointers. Thanks

[panini]

Might want to try clear-gel instead of the CS. Not the instant though.
pan

[Miss Jane]

Thanks, I also just found a thread from 2001 discussing this issue. I had entered strawberry pie in search previously, but didn't see the 2001 thread until I made my post. Am I doing my search incorrectly?

[mudbug]

Would they taste a non-Jello version for consideration?

Tapioca starch is best suited for the task because it stays clear and is the most neutral thickener in terms of not detracting from the fresh flavor of the fruit.

Try the following filling:

2 pints strawberries (halved, sliced, or whole)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 T of tapioca starch

In a medium sauce pan, combine water, sugar, and tapioca starch. Stir over medium heat until thick. Stir in strawberries until coated. Pour into prebaked pie shell. Chill for one hour before serving.

[Miss Jane]

Thanks, mudbug, this sounds good. I will try it. Do you have any idea on the shelf life for this? Of course, I wouldn't want to hold it for days, but would overnight be alright?

[Joyfull]

It might just be a mistake in the directions you were given. Take a look at this recipe.
http://www.sailmainecoast.com/the_ex...esserts/g6.htm

its close to what you are describing but the jello is added after everything else has cooked and thickened..

[itscrazydelicio]

the non jello one sounds good

[even stephen]

I'm from Georgia and even though I'm a chef by trade, I love strawberry
pie. You can make your own crust, although its just as easy to by one
and bake it off. When I am in a good mood, I make a strawberry syrup and
and bloom gelatin and ad to the warm syrup, then pour it over the fresh strawberries in the pie shell. Mostly I buy the crust, bake it off, let it cool,
fill it with fresh sweet sliced strawberries, then open a packet of wild strawberry jello brand jello and follow the directions. I cut the water in the
recipe in half. The purge from the strawberries is what makes the mixture
not set up if you use the specified amount of water. I also add sugar, about
three tablespoons, as the jello has artificial sweeteners and the sugar ads
something special. Fresh whipped cream is my preference, but many people
use cool whip. My kids love strawberry pie. It takes me back 30 years every
time I taste it. If you make it from scratch its absolutely divine. Make sure and buy the wild strawberry jello not the regular strawberry jello, it makes a
better flavored pie. Fresh Peach icebox pie is also pretty darn hard to beat.
Good Luck and Thanks for bringing it up, I've haven't made it in a few months.
Take Care

[Miss Jane]

Thanks, even stephen. The wild strawberry jello is surprisingly good. I think this is what my client wants. This recipe worked well for me:
Wild Strawberry Jello Pie
Prebaked Pie Crust 1-9"
IQF Strawberries 8 oz
Water 1 1/2 C.
Sugar 1 C. (7oz)
Cornstarch 1 oz
Salt 1 pinch
Wild Straw Jello 1-3oz package
Fresh Whole Strawbs 1 quart

Cook the frozen berries with water for about 5 minutes until berries are white and mushy. Strain and save the liquid to make 1 1/2 C. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt into strawb juice. Bring to a boil whisking constantly. Cook for 3-5 min. until gel is clear and thick. Remove from heat and whisk in jello. Let gel cool. Put a little gel in the bottom of the baked and cooled pie crust. Arrange whole berries in the crust. Pour the rest of the gel over the berries to cover. Chill 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.

Now I just have to find a wholesale source for Wild Strawberry Jell-o!

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by Miss Jane

Thanks, mudbug, this sounds good. I will try it. Do you have any idea on the shelf life for this?

It'll be fine for a couple of days Miss Jane. You could try both recipes and see which works best for your needs.