SHIFTING ROOTS

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How to Harvest and Preserve Sour Cherries Like a Boss

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July is a busy month for the Saskatchewan berry picker.  Strawberries start off the month, followed by saskatoon berries, raspberries, and then finally, sour cherries.  Of the four, sour cherries are my favourite.  Yes, they are a lot of work, but well worth the effort.

We love them so much in our house that my son and I polished off 4 jars of sour cherry jam within one month.  It was our whole year’s supply!!

Processing sour cherries is the kind of job that makes a beginner nervous.  Sour cherry farms are not as popular as other fruits (at least in our area) so it can be daunting to find a place to pick.  The thought of pitting the cherries is scary.  Is the cost of a cherry pitter worth it?  How do I pit the cherries without one?  What can I make with sour cherries?

Before you can make your favourite sour cherry jam, juice, crisp, pie, or other desserts, you need to learn how to harvest and preserve your fruit. I'm sharing my best tips for freezing, pitting, and canning for beginners. #sourcherries #freezing #piefilling #cherryjam #sourcherryjam

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Tips and Tricks to Harvesting, Cleaning, and Preserving Berries

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . . berry picking season!!  Saskatoon berries, sour cherries, strawberries, and raspberries are all in season these next few weeks.  Before you grab your straw hat and pail (or walk down to the fruit truck, we won’t judge) here’s some little tips and tricks to make the whole process smoother.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase anything, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.  Thanks for your support!

Planning to harvest fresh berries this summer? Before you start canning, freezing, and preserving your berries, read this first to make the whole process easier--especially if you're a beginner! #berries #summerberries #canning #harvesting #preserving #freezing #foodstorage #preservingfood #canning101

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For the Love of Berry Picking

It’s a hot sticky morning in July and I wake up to the bright sun at 6:30am.  Why am I up this early?  Oh yes, it’s berry picking season.

Yesterday I spent 2 hours in the scorching sun only to pick one pail of Saskatoon berries.  Today I’ll be picking raspberries at my Mother-in-law’s acreage.  Two hours later I emerge hot, sticky, dirty, and profoundly happy from the raspberry patch.

Why?

I love going berry picking every summer. Saskatoon berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sour cherries. . . you name it, I love to pick it. Over the years I've learned that while picking berries is about food security, it's also about love and passing down traditions.

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No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Every summer, my family searched high and low for a coveted box of New York Cherry Cheesecake ice cream.  Not just any grocery store would carry it, and even the ones that did didn’t always have it in stock.

It was the small-town-holy-grail of ice cream.

When I was in grade three we managed to secure a box during a sleepover with my best friend.  We happily devoured the ice cream, fearing no consequence.  Unfortunately, the next day I woke up with small red spots all over my body.

“Yikes, must have been the cherry cheese cake ice cream we ate last night.  Maybe you’re allergic.” proclaimed my concerned nine-year-old friend.

I felt itchy all over as I imagined my fate without my favourite ice cream.

Turned out, it was chicken pox.

While I’m positive that the ice cream had nothing to do with chicken pox, it is a fun memory that I always think of when I eat this ice cream.

What hasn’t changed?  New York Cherry Cheesecake ice cream is still hard to find in Saskatchewan.  (Thank you Twisted Sisters in Chamberlain, SK for carrying it!!)

I set out to make my own.

No-churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream is the perfect summer treat! Whip up this homemade recipe in no time and have your kids begging for more.

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The Ultimate Easy Sour Cherry Pie

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. (Side note: did you know there’s 28 hardy fruits you can grow in zone 3?)

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!

Don’t be intimidated with the fancy crust. In this version, I use store bought pie crust and butter pastry to save time. If I wasn’t making this pie to be photographed, I would make my own pie crust.

Related: Sour Cherry Tarts

Irresistible sour cherry pie is made with an easy tart cherry pie filling and captures the fresh taste of summer! Make this recipe with fresh or frozen cherries. Pre-made pies also freeze well. #sourcherries #tartcherries #pie #filling #recipe

Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

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. Try not to over-mix your dough, as it gets tougher the more you work with it. If you want to make a lattice or fancy designs, I urge you to use boughten butter pastry dough, as I find that homemade dough is too difficult to work with when you’re making intricate designs.

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.)

Related: How to Pick and Process Sour Cherries

Seal up the edges 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!

Yield: Serves 8

Irresistible Sour Cherry Pie

Irresistible Sour Cherry Pie

A classic sour cherry pie recipe.

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Filling:
  • 6 cups pitted sour cherries
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 heaping tbsp flour
  • Crust:
  • 2/3cup lard or butter
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3-6 tbsp cold water

Instructions

  1. Pit sour cherries if you haven't done so already. The additional time in the recipe is how long you should allow yourself to pit the cherries.
  2. Combine cherries, sugar, and flour in a bowl.
  3. Combine pie ingredients in a large bowl. I personally prefer to mix with my hands, as I get a more well mixed and workable pie crust. Add more water if too dry, or more flour if too wet.
  4. Divide the dough into two balls.
  5. Roll out one pie dough ball and set into a 9 inch pie plate. Trim the edges with a knife.
  6. Pour cherry mixture into pie shell. If your plate is not very deep, you may only use 4 cups of the cherry mixture.
  7. Roll out the other pie dough ball and use to cover the pie. If you are not making a lattice crust, poke holes in the crust with a fork.
  8. Seal the dough by pressing a fork around the edges. Trim any excess with a knife.
  9. Bake for 375 degrees for approximately 60 minutes. The time will vary depending on your oven. The pie crust should be a golden brown when finished.
  10. Let cool slightly and top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Notes

This recipe used two cups of sugar, but you can easily change the amount to suit your own tastes. I would use 1 cup if you like sour foods, 2 cups for most people, and 3 cups if you're making these for kids or don't enjoy sour foods as much. I personally do 2 cups if I'm planning on serving them with whipped cream or ice cream, and 3 if I think I'll be eating them plain.

In this picture I used pre-made pie crust because I was making my pie fancy for the picture. If you want to make a fancy pie crust like this, you'll get better results if you use pre-made dough instead of the pie-crust recipe.

Category: Dessert

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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