Canning Cherry Pie Filling
Canning your own cherry pie filling is a great way to enjoy peak cherry season all year long. Whether you use fresh-picked sour cherries or frozen ones, homemade pie filling beats anything you’ll find at the store.
Servings 32 servings
Calories 38kcal
Cost $12
Ingredients
- 3⅓ cups fresh or frozen sour cherries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⅓ cups water
- ¼ cup Clear Jel modified cornstarch plus
- 1 tablespoon Clear Jel modified cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Bottled Lemon Juice plus
- 1 teaspoon Bottled Lemon Juice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
Instructions
For Fresh Cherries
- For fresh fruit, add cherries to large pot. Cover with about 1/2 gallon of water.
For Frozen Cherries
- Thaw cherries in refrigerator.
- Add cherries and juice to large pan. Just barely cover cherries with water.
For fresh and frozen cherries
- Bring to boil. Once boiling, boil for 1 minute.
- Strain liquid from cherries. Keep cherries warm in covered container. Reserve water and juice.
- Combine sugar and clearjel. Add the water or juice back to the large pot.
- Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts bubbling.
- Add lemon juice. Boil for 1 minute.
- Fold in cherries.
- Pack immediately into hot jars. Reserving 1-inch headspace.
- Remove the air bubbles with a bubble tool. Wipe the edge of the jar clean. Place lids. Screw on bands fingertip tight.
- Process 30 minutes,at sea level. Adjusting for altitude. See the notes below.
Notes
- It's best to use sour cherries for this recipe. If using sweet cherries, reduce the sugar and increase the lemon juice to taste.
- Use a cherry pitter to speed up the pitting process.
- Use Clear Jel, a modified cornstarch, instead of cornstarch, if canning.
- If you don't want to can this cherry pie filling, it lasts 2-3 days or freeze it up to 1 year.
- If you are not canning, the clearjel can be substituted with cornstarch.
- Use proper canning techniques, if canning, to make the product shelf-stable.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg