Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ahhh, the taste of spring in Maine… May and June bring us the beautifully complimentary flavors of fresh rhubarb and fresh strawberries. If you are lucky enough to have a rhubarb plant on your property, you are familiar with this tart, crisp vegetable. (Yes, vegetable!) Rhubarb grows very well in our climate, and spreads. But don’t worry if you think you have too much – it can be frozen, and your neighbors and friends will probably take some off your hands, as well!
So, we take that tangy rhubarb and mix it with sweet, rich strawberries to get the perfect combination! (However, you can also use rhubarb on its own or with other fruit such as apples, peaches and raspberries.) The strawberry rhubarb pie is a classic Maine dessert, and we hope you like our take on it.
For the Pie Crust
3¾ C All Purpose Flour
1½ teas Salt
1½ teas Sugar
3 sticks Cold Butter (You can use lard, or Crisco, or a combo, but make sure it’s cold!)
½ C Cold Water (you may need a little more, but be sure to add by the teaspoon)
1½ Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Place flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and toss lightly to mix.
Cut your cold butter into ½” cubes and add to flour.
Using your hands, a fork or a pastry cutter, gently work the butter into the flour until it loosely resembles couscous. (If you “run warm” don’t use your hands. You want to keep the butter cold.)
Add lemon juice to water and then pour into flour/butter mixture.
Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix together very gently until you form a ball. Avoid overmixing – as soon as all the flour and water are mixed, stop!
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge while you prepare the filling.
For the Filling
3 C Chopped Rhubarb (make sure to remove all the leaves – they are poisonous)
3 C Strawberries, sliced
¾ C Sugar (can be regular or half regular, half brown sugar)
¼ C Cornstarch
¼ teasp Salt
1 Tbsp Orange Juice (use fresh – you also need the zest)
1 teasp Orange Zest
1 Egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water or milk
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Mix the pie ingredients (except the last two – butter and egg) in a large bowl and mix well.
Divide the dough in half, and roll out one piece to fit a 9” pie dish.
Drape the pie dough over the dish, making sure you have an inch or so around the edge.
Place the filling in the middle of the pie dish using a slotted spoon (you can discard most of the liquid), and sprinkle the cubed butter on top.
Now you can decide if you want a double crust pie, or a lattice top!
For double crust, roll the second half of the pie dough about the same as the first piece and place on top of the filling.
Join the edges and crimp.
Poke a few holes in the top with a fork or a paring knife, then using a pastry brush, coat the top with the egg wash.
For lattice, roll the second piece of pie dough out about the same size as the top of the pie, and cut into long strips about 1” wide.
Weave the slices of dough across the top to form a basket weave design. (This can be a little tricky – videos can be very helpful!
Press the edges of the strips to the bottom crust and cut neatly around the edge, or crimp.
Coat the tops of the dough with eggwash.
Bake your pie for 20 minutes at 400°F, then turn the temperature to 350°F and bake a further 30-35 minutes, or until the filling begins to bubble.
*** It is wise to place your pie on a sheet pan in case of spillage or boiling over.
*** You should also keep an eye on the crust, and cover with a pie crust shield or some foil to keep it from getting too dark, especially around the edges.
*** This pie is also fantastic with a crumb topping!