Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Now that it’s strawberry AND rhubarb season, you have to fit this strawberry rhubarb pie into your baking plans! The taste is pure summer and a reminder that the dog days are just approaching. The filling is tangy and sweet at the same time, the crust is wonderfully flaky and melt in your mouth.
And the best part about it–it’s pretty easy to make. That is if you don’t mind rolling a little pie dough. But this is the most challenging part that you can skip with store bought pie crust (I won’t tell anyone!) The filling is a cinch to make with only a few pantry staples (other than strawberries and rhubarb) and the end result is a sweet and tart summery pie everyone will want more of.
Is Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Expensive to Make?
Not at all, especially if you make it when strawberries and rhubarb are in season. Around late May or early June (strawberry and rhubarb season in Ontario), strawberry fields open for picking. For this reason, even grocery store strawberries drop in price. And people practically give away rhubarb from their gardens.
The most expensive part of strawberry rhubarb pie is the crust, for which you can substitute the butter for a cheaper fat like shortening or even margarine.
Do I Have to Use Lard in the Crust?
You do not need to use lard in the pie crust. Instead, you can swap it out for more butter or you can even use vegetable shortening. You can actually use any fat for pie dough. For the Rustic Tomato Galette recipe on this website, we use olive oil. However there will be a difference in texture and taste. Shortening has no flavor at all, but it adds a tenderness to the crust unique to itself. Butter provides the most flavor, but lard gives it a very flaky and melt in your mouth texture. This is why I prefer this combo over any other fats.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries and Rhubarb?
Yes you can! That is why this is such a great pie for your repertoire. You can bake it during the winter months using that bumper crop of strawberries and rhubarb festering in your freezer.
To use frozen fruit in pies successfully, we recommend freezing the entire pie before baking. With a frozen crust, it won’t burn before the fruit inside gets fully cooked. Alternatively, before assembling the pie, you can cook the fruit with the sugar and flour until thickened. This way you will know exactly what the consistency will be in the pie.
How Do I Store Strawberry Rhubarb Pie?
You can store leftovers of your strawberry rhubarb pie on your countertop. Just be sure to cover it well with plastic or foil. It keeps for 2 days this way. If you store it in the fridge it will keep for up to 7 days.
Can I Freeze Strawberry Rhubarb Pie?
Yes, this strawberry rhubarb pie freezes beautifully. Simply double wrap your completely cooled pie in plastic, then place into a freezer bag. It will keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Use the butter/lard combination. Using butter and lard will give you the best flavor and texture at the same time. Lard makes many baked goods flaky and flavorful and is our top choice for pie crust.
- Chill your pie dough well. Not only does chilling the dough make it cold for easier rolling, but it gets a chance to hydrate. This allows the flour granules to absorb the water and stay together better while rolling.
- Freeze your pie before baking–especially when using frozen fruit. You don’t have to freeze it entirely, just enough to chill the dough well. Because we start baking this pie at 425F, we want our dough to be very cold. This intense change in temperature helps puff the steam in the dough layers, making it extra flaky.
- Use a full cup of sugar. Because rhubarb is very tart, you need the full cup of sugar that the recipe calls for. So, pretty please use the full cup of sugar without trying to cut it back.
- Place a baking sheet on a lower rack. You may want to line it with parchment paper or foil, too. This is just in case the pie leaks during baking. It will catch any fat drippings from the pastry or bubbling fruit that will make a big mess in your oven. Do not however place the pie directly on the baking sheet or the bottom crust will not cook thoroughly.
- Allow the pie to cool before serving. Even though it’s tempting to dive into a hot fruit pie, no baker recommends it. Fruit pies need time to congeal, which only happens as it cools. Otherwise the filling can all flood into a messy pool that makes serving difficult.
I hope you’ll try out this strawberry rhubarb pie this summer. In fact, it might not be your summer this year without it. And if you do, definitely rate the recipe and share how it turned out for you!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Equipment
- 2 Large bowls
- 1 Pastry blender
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 9 inch Pie plate
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Spatula
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, cold, cut into pieces
- ½ cup lard, cold, cut into pieces
- 8-10 tablespoons ice water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
FILLING
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups rhubarb, diced
- 2 cups strawberries, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1-2 teaspoons Turbinado sugar, optional (for sprinkling)
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST
- In a large bowl combine all purpose flour and salt.
- Add butter and lard. Using a pastry blender, cut into the flour mixture until it resembles very coarse oats. You can also use 2 knives or even your fingers. It is okay if there are some larger chunks or butter and lard as well as some smaller pieces.
- In a small cup combine ice water and vinegar. Slowly add about ¾ of this mixture, stirring enough so that it comes together into a rough dough. You may not need all of the ice water mixture or you may need to add a few more drops depending on your flour's hydration level. Add only enough liquid to make the dough come together.
- Once you've formed a fairly dry dough, divide in half and stack on the other half. Press down and repeat, cutting the dough in half and stacking it. This will create a very flaky pie dough. Repeat cutting and stacking 4-6 times. By now the dough should be well developed and combined. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours to fully hydrate and chill.
FOR THE FILLING
- In a large bowl beat egg well. Remove and reserve about 1 tablespoon of the egg to brush on the pie before baking.
- Add cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Whisk well until smooth.
- Add rhubarb and strawberries. Fold well with a spatula until fruit is well coated with custard mixture.
ASSEMBLE THE PIE
- Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃.
- When dough is well chilled, divide so that one half is slightly larger than the other. The slightly larger half will be the bottom of the crust. Cover the smaller half of dough with plastic so it doesn't dry out.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the bottom crust so it's larger than the pie plate. Using the rolling pin, transfer the dough into the pie plate so it's well centered. Fill with strawberry rhubarb filling and dot with 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Roll second piece of pie dough to fit the top. Brush some water around the edge of the bottom crust, then place the top crust. Press down edges well to seal. Trim off excess dough or simply tuck it to form an edge. Flute the edge of the crust all the way around or press with a fork.
- Brush top of pie with reserved egg and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar, if using. Cut a couple of slits in the top of the pie for steam vents. To be safe, you may want to place a baking sheet with parchment paper on a lower rack to catch any possible leaking. Bake for 20 minutes on 400℉/200℃, then turn oven down to 375℉/190℃ and bake another 25-30 minutes. The crust should be a nice golden brown and the fruit should be bubbling in the middle. Cool at least 3 hours before serving.