Cherry Pie Filling
Makes 6 to 8 quarts
This recipe also can be used to make peach pie filling. Peaches must be peeled before using. To peel peaches, in small batches, submerge in boiling water 2 minutes, then remove and place in ice bath. When cooled, slip skins from peaches, remove pits and slice.
Blackberry, blueberry, strawberry, chokecherry, ground cherry and raspberry variations also are possible. 24 cups fresh or frozen (thoroughly thawed) pitted cherries
3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice for sprinkling on cherries
6 cups granulated sugar 1 ⁄2 cups ClearJel
1
7 cups cold water, OR a mix of cold water and cherry juice, OR unsweetened apple juice
1 cup lemon bottled juice
Special equipment/ingredient: ClearJel. Jars: 16-ounce, 32-ounce.
Headspace: 2 inches.
Total prep time: 3 hours. Process time: 25 minutes. Storage length: 1 year.
Step 1: Wash and pit cherries. Sprinkle with bottled lemon juice and set aside.
Step 2: Whisk together sugar and ClearJel. In a large stockpot, mix water or water/juice with sugar and ClearJel. Stir with a whisk to fully integrate the dry items.
Step 3: Begin to heat over medium flame. Stir often, as the mixture will begin to thicken and potentially scorch before it boils. Add lemon juice. Boil 1 minute while constantly stirring with a whisk. (The slurry should take on a glossy and clear sheen.) Remove from heat.
Step 4: With a large rubber spatula, mix in cherries and cook 5 minutes longer.
Step 5: Fill jars. Stir mixture after every few jars to keep the fruit-to-slurry mix in balance. Remove air bubbles from jars. Wipe rims of jars with a clean damp towel.
Step 6: Put on lids and process in a hot-water bath. OR, cool completely and then fill freezer-safe storage containers (leave 1 1⁄2 inches headspace).
VARIATIONS
Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, chokecherries, ground cherries or raspberries can all be substituted for the cherries in this recipe. (For peach variation, see directions in the recipe intro.)
The ratio of liquid to sugar to ClearJel to fruit remains the same for all berry-based and cherry-based pie fillings. If you’d like to spice the filling, add 2 teaspoons dry or 3 teaspoons liquid. (See cherry variations below for flavor ideas.)
As noted in other recipes, changing the sugar from granulated to brown gives the pie filling a caramelly taste.
Cherry variations include cherry with cinnamon, cherry with almond extract or cherry lime (use 3 cups lime juice and 3 tablespoons lime zest in the slurry).