Sweet Cherry Pie Filling

     Cook Type Clear Jel can be finicky as well and expand when heated in the jar so, to avoid a mess you can leave 1/4" more headspace then called for by this recipe when filling jars, I canned up 3 quarts using the beautiful dark sweet cherries that Northwest Cherries sent me. One quart is perfect for one 9-inch pie.  This recipe is Water Bath Canned. ~Enjoy! Diane 

Sweet Cherry Pie Filling

Simple Syrup
(per One Quart) 
3 1/3 Cups Sweet Cherries
​1 Cup Sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste stirred in)  or  1/4 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp cinnamon, optional 
cook type clear jel 1/4 cup
1  1/3 cold water
1 Tbs + 1 tsp fresh bottled lemon juice 

Quality: Select fresh, very ripe, and firm cherries. 

Procedure:  Rinse and pit fresh cherries and hold in cold water. To prevent stem end browning, use ascorbic acid solution.

For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 1-gallon boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine sugar and Clear Jel in a large saucepan and add water. If desired, add cinnamon, almond or vanilla extract, Stir mixture and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in drained cherries immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace

Process: Boiling Water Bath Can for 30 minutes *or according to your altitude. 


Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home
Procedure by: NCHFP     http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/can_pie/cherry_filling.html
Cherries by: Northwest Cherries/Washington State