Citric Acid Free Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Few desserts hit as hard as a bubbling strawberry rhubarb pie fresh from the oven, with that deep golden crust and jewel-bright filling peeking through the vents. The tricky part for anyone avoiding citric acid is that many store-bought pie fillings and even some packaged crusts sneak it in as a preservative or flavor enhancer ā so making everything from scratch here is genuinely the smart move. The filling leans on fresh strawberries and rhubarb, with just a touch of lemon zest and lemon juice for brightness, so you know exactly what's going in and there are no hidden additives to second-guess. Tapioca starch does the thickening work beautifully, giving the filling a glossy, jammy texture that holds its shape once the pie cools. The all-butter crust is built the old-fashioned way ā cold butter worked into flour by hand, brought together with ice water ā and it bakes up shatteringly flaky with serious flavor. Letting the pie rest a full two hours before slicing is the hardest part, but it's what takes the filling from soupy to perfectly set. This is the kind of pie that earns a permanent spot in your rotation.
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Learn more āIngredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 2 Ā½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into Ā½-inch cubes and chilled
- 6ā8 tbsp ice water
For the filling
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 3 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into Ā½-inch pieces
- Ā¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca starch
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Ā¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the egg wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt. Add the chilled butter cubes and work them into the flour using a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork after each addition, until the dough just holds together when pressed ā it should not be wet or sticky. Divide the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- 2
In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, 3/4 cup sugar, tapioca starch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Toss until the fruit is evenly coated. Let the filling sit for 15 minutes while you roll out the dough ā the juices will begin to release and the tapioca will start to hydrate.
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