Quick Homemade Cherry Pie Filling Canning Recipe
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If I had to choose between a pie filling to exclusively make for myself, it would be homemade cherry pie filling. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved cherry pie filling in the can from the store. My Mom would always can sour cherries in a syrup I think it was and I really liked those, too! But pie filling is my favvvvv. I don’t necessarily care for cherry pie though, but literally everything else I can make with it. Especially cherry delight.
My simple canning recipe using 4 ingredients to get you started and you can doctor it up from there with spices and extracts that you prefer. Some folks prefer almond extract in theirs but I cannot stand the flavor of almond extract. Call me weird. I’ve also seen recipes calling for red food coloring (looking at you national center for home food preservation) and that makes me crazy! Why can’t we appreciate food for the color it’s supposed to be when we cook it?! STOP fixating on things needing to look like the grocery store food and focus on making natural food! The beauty of home canning is your food is BETTER than the stores so if it doesn’t look like that, that’s a compliment.
What Variety Of Cherries Are Best
Any variety. Free ones. Cheap ones. Ones that you can find in bulk. Something really nice to get is tart cherries that I can buy in a bucket, frozen, and already pitted. And this recipe is for 10 lbs of cherries, which is a pretty common size for a smaller bucket of cherries you can purchase this way. In Ohio anyway. But, I also will go pick cherries from good friends trees that don’t want anymore (and share some pie filling of course) or anything I find in discount at produce markets and such. Fresh cherries. Frozen cherries. Tart cherries. Sweet Cherries. Black cherries. They all work amazing, you just need to taste them and adjust the sugar content from there. The sugar measurement for this recipe is for tart cherries and that’s what I’ll call for, but just know you can use any type of cherry you want and it will work amazing!
If working with frozen instead of fresh fruit, make sure they’re thawed completely and drained before canning.
Clear Jel
Clearjel starch is the only canning approved thickener, which is why I used it in my recipe. It keeps the pie filling nice and clear as opposed to using corn starch which can make it cloudy. I normally use corn starch or thermflo, which is rebel canning, but it’s fine. I am quite certain the recommendation comes from appearances, them only testing one thickener, and probably a financial incentive to test specifically clear jel. But who am I.
You find what works for you and what’s easiest to find. If you’re uncomfortable using an unapproved thickener, don’t, because you probably won’t eat the food you can if you do. I have a clear jel brand I have used and prefer, especially because it comes in a nice container. Just be sure the thickener you are using is cook type and NOT instant. Instant will obvious seize your pie filling….. instantly…. but then turn back to liquid after the canning process when heated for extended periods of time. Ask me how I know….
Equipment You Might Want:
- Cherry pitter
- Large stock pot
- Mixing bowl
- Pint or Quart jars
- canning lids & screw bands
- Jar funnel
- Jar lifter
- Steam Canner
Ingredients:
- 10 pounds sour/tart cherries
- 4 cups raw, unrefined sugar
- 3/4 cup cook type clear jel
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (optional)
- healthy pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Let’s make some cherry pie filling!
Step 1: Prep Cherries
Wash fresh cherries, remove stems and pit cherries using your method of choice. Set aside in a large bowl as you work.
If using frozen cherries, thaw and drain completely.
Step 2: Make the Filling
Add the cherries and half the sugar (2 cups) to a stock pot, stir, and let sit to macerate for 15 minutes to get the juices flowing. See recipe notes on sugar content.
Place cherry sugar mixture over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.
While the cherries heat, in a small mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup clear jel with the remaining 2 cups of sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Verify the type of clear jel you have is cook type and not instant clear jel.
Add the sugar & clear jel mixture to the warm cherries, stirring very well to dissolve and combine. Add in vanilla & stir.
Continue to heat and boil the cherry pie filling until it thickens. This takes about 10-15 minutes for me.
Remove from heat.
Step 3: Canning
Wash 4 quart or 8 pint mason jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse well while the pie filling cooks. Set aside.
Once filling is thickened, ladle hot cherry pie filling into clean jars to 1 1/2 inch headspace. I fill my jars of pie filling to the shoulders or to the freezer line for wide mouth pints. Remove air bubbles and add more filling if needed to maintain headspace.
Wipe jar rims well with a clean damp cloth, add a lid, and secure with a band.
Water bath or steam can pints or quarts of cherry pie filling for 30 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.
Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and remove water bath canner lid and allow jars to cool in the water for 15 minutes before removing completely. This helps prevent siphoning which is easy to cause with pie filling. If using a steam canner, I just take the canner off the heat and allow it to cool almost completely before cocking the lid to cool for another 10 minutes and then I take the lid off and remove the jars. This slow cool down process goes far in preventing siphoning and have a good jar seal rate.
Remove jars and set aside on a heat proof surface lined with a clean towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
Step 4: Storage
After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine, just avoid extreme temperatures.
Shelf life is ’til you eat it. I aim to rotate my canned foods out every 2 years for best quality and nutritional benefit, but they last much longer than that. If the seal is good, they’re good.
Any jars that didn’t seal can be reheated and reprocessed, placed in the fridge to use soon, or frozen. I’d just take that as a sign to eat it with a spoon if it were me!
And that’s how I can my very favorite cherry pie filling!
Notes:
Adjust sugar content according to the sweetness of the cherries. This recipe is for tart cherries, but if you’re using a sweeter variety, adjust the amount of sugar you are using. Less sugar will be fine!
To use:
For a 9-inch pie, roll out a bottom crust using your favorite homemade pie crust recipe, add 1-2 quarts of filling depending on how full you like your pies, add a top crust and bake at 375F for about 45 minutes or til crust is done.
You can also use this to top cherry delight, yogurt, top vanilla ice cream, camper pies, homemade pop tarts, cherry cheese danish, cherry cheesecake, cherry turnovers, the possibilities are seriously endless! Enjoy having your own cherry pie filling on the shelves.
Other fruit pie fillings from Red Feather Farm:
- Blackberry Pie Filling
- Apple Pie Filling
- Peach Pie Filling
- Zapple Pie Filling
- Strawberry Pie Filling
- Blueberry Pie Filling
Equipment
- Cherry pitter
- Large Stock Pot
- Pint or Quart jars
- Canning lids & screw bands
- jar lifter
Ingredients
- 10 pounds sour/tart cherries
- 4 cups raw unrefined sugar
- 3/4 cup clear jel cook type
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder optional
- healthy pinch of salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash fresh cherries, remove stems and pit cherries using your method of choice. Set aside in a large bowl as you work. If using frozen cherries, thaw and drain completely.
- Add the cherries and half the sugar (2 cups) to a stock pot, stir, and let sit to macerate for 15 minutes to get the juices flowing. See recipe notes on sugar content.
- Place cherry sugar mixture over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar.
- While the cherries heat, in a small mixing bowl whisk together 1 cup clear jel with the remaining 2 cups of sugar, vanilla powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the sugar & clear jel mixture to the warm cherries, stirring very well to dissolve and combine. Add in vanilla & stir.
- Continue to heat and boil the cherry pie filling until it thickens.
- Remove from heat.
- Wash 4 quart or 8 pint mason jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse well while the pie filling cooks. Set aside.
- Once filling is thickened, ladle hot cherry pie filling into clean jars to 1 1/2 inch headspace.
- Remove air bubbles and add more filling if needed to maintain headspace.
- Wipe jar rims well with a clean damp cloth, add a lid, and secure with a band.
- Water bath or steam can pints or quarts of cherry pie filling for 30 minutes, adjusting time for elevation if needed.
- Once processing time is complete, shut off heat and remove water bath canner lid and allow jars to cool in the water for 15 minutes before removing completely. This helps prevent siphoning which is easy to cause with pie filling.
- Remove jars and set aside on a heat proof surface lined with a clean towel to cool undisturbed for 18-24 hours.
- After cooling, remove bands, test seals, wash jars, label, and store in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is fine, just avoid extreme temperatures.
- Shelf life is 'til you eat it. I aim to rotate my canned foods out every 2 years for best quality and nutritional benefit, but they last much longer than that. If the seal is good, they're good.
- Any jars that didn't seal can be reheated and reprocessed, placed in the fridge to use soon, or frozen.
Excellent site. A lot of helpful info here. I am sending it to a few pals ans also sharing in delicious.
And certainly, thanks in your sweat!
thank you!