When you live in a cold climate like I do, any fruit we can grow seems extra special. My mother-in-law has two cherry trees on her acreage, and every year I look forward to harvesting those trees. Sour cherries have come a long way since the Nanking cherries of my youth. I love the newer U of S varieties!
The bush with smaller cherries was ready a week earlier, so I made three and a half jars of jam with those. This year I ran my cherries through the mini blender, and I am much happier with how the jam turned out. This week the big cherries were ready, so that means it’s time for the annual pie!
How to Make Cherry Pie Filling
First step: Cook the cherries to make the pie filling. My recipe is simple; a 1:3 ratio of sugar to cherries. You could go 1:2, but I like my filling a little more sour because I intend to add ice cream when serving my pie. Add cornstarch when it boils to your desired consistency. (Remember to dissolve the cornstarch in a separate bit of water first, then you don’t have to worry about lumps!)
Side note: I don’t generally cook with recipes, so if you are someone who needs a recipe, you are going to find any time I share how to cook something maddening. (Thanks dear family for putting up with me!)
Related: No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream
The Easiest Pie Crust
Next up, the pie crust! My approximate recipe is 2/3 cup lard or butter to 2 cups flour and a little bit of cold water.
Assemble the Cherry Pie!
Roll it out and add your cherries. In this photo I didn’t use my pie filling that I had pre done. If you’re going the same route, add sugar and flour to your cherries. (Sugar to taste, about 2 heaping tablespoons of flour for thickening. You could use cornstarch if you prefer.)
I like to be fancy and do a lattice crust for cherry pie. My dough was very difficult to work with, but I managed.
Seal everything up with a fork when you’re done, and brush with milk and a sprinkling of sugar for browning. Bake at 350 for around 80-90 minutes and you’re done!
Happy Long Weekend everyone! I hope you enjoy some fun and sun. Let me know if you make this pie, I’d love to see your pics & comments.
Learn how to make the ultimate sour cherry pie.Click To Tweet
Serves 8
Ingredients:
6 cups sour cherries,
2 cups white sugar,
1 heaping tbsp cornstarch,
2/3cup lard or butter, 2 cups flour, 3-6 tbsp cold water
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Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots. She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden. She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.
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