Preserving the essence of Florida’s sweetest strawberries can be a delightful journey, especially when you extend their freshness beyond the fleeting strawberry season. In this detailed guide, we’ll explore the art of canning through a homemade Strawberry Pie Filling recipe, offering a burst of sunshine in every spoonful. Learn about the nuances of Florida strawberry season, safe canning procedures, and creative ways to elevate this homemade filling into versatile delights.

Strawberry Season:

Strawberry season dances through the months of December to April, providing a limited window to savor the juiciest berries. Hurry to your local stores along the east coast to secure a few quarts of these sweet gems before the season bids adieu. The peak sweetness of this season’s strawberries makes them perfect candidates for canning, ensuring you relish their goodness long after the season concludes.

Preparation Rituals:

Before diving into the Strawberry Pie Filling recipe, meticulous preparation is essential. Begin by cleansing your canning jars and lids, immersing them in hot soapy water. Heat the jars in boiling water, keeping them warm until ready for the homemade strawberry filling. As the jars warm, set up your hot water bath canning pot, ensuring it’s ready to immerse the jars by at least an inch during processing.

Local Farmer’s Market Delights:

For an authentic touch, head to your local farmer’s market to procure half or a whole flat of Florida strawberries. This allows you to preserve the strawberries for year-round enjoyment, a simple yet rewarding process. The joy of creating homemade strawberry delights extends beyond taste, reaching into the heart of sustainable, seasonal eating.

Safe Canning Procedures:

As with any canning endeavor, adherence to current safe canning procedures is paramount. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned canner, ensuring the safety of your pie filling, jam, or jelly is a shared responsibility. Seek guidance from your local extension office to acquaint yourself with the latest canning safety standards, making this recipe not only delicious but also reliably secure.

Creative Uses of Pie Filling:

Beyond its classic role as a pie filling, this homemade Strawberry Pie Filling unveils a world of culinary possibilities. Imagine it as a decadent topping for cheesecake, a luscious addition to strawberry shortcake, an indulgent ice cream topping, or a delightful filling for strawberry cakes and cupcakes. The versatility of this filling transforms your kitchen into a haven of strawberry-infused creations.

Simple Serving Pleasures:

One quick and delightful serving suggestion involves pairing the homemade strawberry pie filling with shortcake shells and whipped cream. Assemble a plate with a shortcake shell, generously filled with the strawberry pie filling, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle more strawberry goodness over the cream, and you have a simple yet elegant dessert that celebrates the essence of fresh, seasonal berries.

Strawberry Pie Filling

Recipe by admin

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertsCuisine: American

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Calories

186

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

The Art of Crafting Homemade Strawberry Pie Filling

Ingredients

• 3 ½ cups fresh Florida Strawberries3 ½ cups fresh Strawberries

• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon ClearJel (cook type-not instant type starch)

• ¾ cup sugar

• 1 cup cold water or strawberry juice

• 3 ½ teaspoons bottled lemon juice

Directions

• Place the strawberries in a large colander and rinse under cold running water.
• Hull the strawberries and cut the larger strawberries in half as you place them in a large measuring cup or bowl.
• Blanch the sliced strawberries by plunging them into a large pot of boiling water, drain, and place the strawberries in a covered bowl to keep warm.
• Mix the ClearJel starch with the sugar in a large heavy-bottomed pot.
• Add the water or strawberry juice to the pot and whisk until all lumps are gone. Heat on medium-high until the mixture starts to thicken and begins to bubble. (Will be very thick)
• Once bubbling, add the 3 and ½ teaspoons of lemon juice, stirring constantly and remove from the heat.
• Fold the blanched strawberries into the hot liquid and fold gently to combine.
• Add a drop of bright red gel food coloring, if desired.
• Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill the jars, leaving a 1-inch headspace. Remove bubbles from the jar using a canning bubble remover or a wooden chopstick. Check the headspace after removing the bubbles and add more pie filling if needed.
• Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel, place a flat lid on the jar, and screw on a band just until finger tight. Place the filled jar in the water bath canner as you fill other jars.
• Once all jars are filled, process in a hot water bath canner for 30 minutes.
• Turn the hot water bath canner off or remove the canning pot from the heat. Allow cooling for 10 minutes. Remove the processed jars from the canner, place on a towel on the counter, and allow to cool overnight.

Nutrition Facts

• Total number of serves: 1
• Calories: 186kcal
• Carbohydrates: 47g
• Protein: 1g
• Fat: 1g
• Sodium: 5mg
• Potassium: 193mg
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 44g
• Calcium: 20mg
• Iron: 1mg