It’s strawberry season here in the Northwest. My first berry pie of the summer was this beauty. Now, here is an example of when making it at home isn’t necessarily cheaper than buying it already made. This pie cost me about $10.25 to make. I used a pre-made Pillsbury Pie Crust, because I’ve never been able to make a crust better than Pillsbury. I could have probaby saved $0.50, by making my own crust. Shari’s, sells whole pies for between $10 and $12.

The expensive part of this pie is the berries. Berries run about $16 for a half flat (which is six of the pint boxes), and it takes about a quarter flat (three boxes) to make the pie. I’ve suspected for years that the bakery cost of pies, while seemingly astronomical, was actually reasonable given the cost of berries at the farmers market, and now I’ve proved it to myself. So here is an exception to the rule that making food at home costs less.

So why do I make my own pies? Well I do save myself an extra trip to the bakery, and I can regulate the sugar content to my family’s taste. But mostly its the great reaction I get from Jeff and Kaye (my husband and daughter).