This Straightforward Cherry Pie Filling pairs perfectly with a homemade pie crust. Its balance of sweetness and tartness from ripe cherries is great for combining with pies, ice cream, or cakes.
Recipe Details
Creating your very own Cherry Pie Filling with luscious summer cherries is a wonderful way to savor a traditional dessert that evokes nostalgia.
- FLAVOR: The blend of sweet cherries and buttery pie crust is undeniably delightful. The sweet and tangy notes in this filling are truly enjoyable.
- CONSISTENCY: This Cherry Pie Filling boasts a dense and syrupy texture with intact juicy berries.
- EFFORT: It merely requires 20 minutes to prepare.
- SIMPLICITY: This recipe is plain and clear, with pitting the cherries being the only marginally challenging step.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Cherries: Sour cherries are recommended, but sweet varieties like Bing and Rainer cherries work well too.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the filling.
- Cornstarch: Assists in thickening the cherry and sugar juices to form a syrupy consistency.
- Lemon juice: Offers a citric contrast to the fruit’s sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Introduces a delicate vanilla essence.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Replace the cornstarch: Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch are viable substitutes.
- Try other fruits: Experiment with various fruits like strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or raspberries, adjusting the sugar accordingly.
- Experiment with different extracts: Explore flavors such as almond, lemon, or lime extract for diversity.
- Use frozen cherries instead: Thawed and drained frozen cherries can be utilized, but they may not hold their shape as effectively as fresh ones.
How to Make Cherry Pie Filling
- Pit the cherries: Remove the pits either manually or with a cherry pitter.
- Mix the ingredients: Combine the pitted cherries with cornstarch, sugar, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a saucepan.
- Boil and reduce: Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer on low heat for approximately 10 minutes.
Pro Tip: Facilitate the pitting of cherries by using a cherry pitter for this recipe.
Pointers for the Recipe
- Utilize a cherry pitter for pit extraction. To accelerate the process, contemplate using a cherry pitter.
- Increase sugar quantities for tart cherries. If you encounter sour tart cherries, it’s necessary to boost the sugar amount.
- Choose fresh lemon juice- Fresh lemon juice offers more zest than concentrate and imparts a delightful fragrance. You can even incorporate some lemon zest for an added kick.
FAQs
Certainly. Utilize some of the juice as a substitute for water in the recipe to enhance flavor and thickness. Additionally, adjust the sugar content when opting for canned cherries in place of fresh ones.
Typically, cherry pie filling comprises fresh cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and water. For extra taste, lemon juice and vanilla extract are included. You have the option to use either tart or sweet cherries.
Serving Ideas
This homemade Cherry Pie Filling is delightfully sweet and brimming with succulent cherries. It complements treats such as gelato, baked goods, confections, and pies.
- Gelato: Experiment by baking this filling in a Handmade Pie Crust and serving it with No Churn Vanilla Gelato, Simple Ube Gelato, or Honeydew Melon Sorbet.
- Pies/Cobblers: Blend it with other pastries like Handmade Apple Pie, Flawless Peach Pie, Cherry Cobbler, or Chocolate Cream Pie.
- Baked Goods: Indulge in it with a Pear Tart, Peach Galette, Simple Raspberry Cheese Danish, or Peach Crisp.
- Cakes: Present this filling with sweets like New York Style Cheesecake, Cherry Jello Cake, Lemon Pound Cake (VIDEO), or Berry Chantilly Cake.
Prepare This Dish Early
Prep in advance: Remove the pits from cherries in advance and refrigerate them for a few days before making the filling.
Preservation: For optimum storage, transfer the homemade pie filling to spotless mason jars and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Ensure the lids are tightly fastened to retain freshness.
Deep-Freeze: To freeze the pie filling, place it in a large ziplock bag, expel the air, and seal it securely before storing in the freezer for up to 4 months. For pie filling, freeze it in a pie pan until solid, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap for storage.
Additional Delicious Pies and Cobblers!
Servings: 8 (Enough to fill a 9 inch pie)
Calories: 160kcal
Certainly, cherry pie filling can be frozen. There are 2 methods to achieve this…
- For pies: You can fill the base of a pie pan with cherry pie filling and freeze it in the pan until firm. Then, transfer the frozen pie-shaped filling onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and wrap it securely.
- For other uses: You can simply place the cooled pie filling into a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Lay it flat and try to press all the air out before sealing it up. Freeze it for up to 4 months.
What can you create with it?
- Cherry jello cake
- Serve over a New York cheesecake
- Prepare a homemade pie with the finest pie crust
- Create a cherry cheese danish
– Saturated Fat: 1g
– Sodium: 1mg
– Potassium: 315mg
– Fiber: 3g
– Sugar: 33g
– Vitamin A: 91IU
– Vitamin C: 11mg
– Calcium: 18mg
– Iron: 1mg
