From-Scratch Freezer Cherry Pie Filling

A neighboring farm has dozens of cherry trees and hundreds upon hundreds of pounds of cherries. There’s no way I’ll use them all up now, so I’m making freezer cherry pie filling.

Jump to Recipe

What cherries are best for pie?

Most pies use tart cherries in their recipes. Paired with sugar and spices, the tartness makes a tasty balance with the sugary sweet. You can make a cherry pie using sweet cherries, but you might want to cut back on the sugar some.

When do I harvest sour cherries?

Here in Minnesota you’ll find sour cherries ready about early to mid-July. We are zone 3b in our neck of the woods and cherries were ready a little earlier this year right at the end of June.

If you live in a warmer growing zone you can have cherries ready for picking by early June.

How to Tell if a Cherry is Ripe

This is going to vary a little from cherry to cherry. Of course you want them to have a full, rich, red color. If they have any yellow or white on them they need to mature longer. They should still be a little firm to the touch but not hard.

Some cherries will roll right off the pit when they are ready, similar to how a ripe raspberry pulls easily from the plant. Others are best harvested in small bunches with the stems still intact.

Varieties of Tart Cherries for Pies and Jams

If you are in the upper Midwest there are a few popular types of tart cherries you might want to grow.

• Montmorency
• North Star
• Meteor
• Early Richmond

What is the best way to pit a cherry?

Let’s be real, cherries are a pain in the butt to pit. It’s honestly part of why I only harvest 5-6 pounds of berries in a given year. I just don’t want to deal with pitting them!

Some options are to slice the cherry in half and wrestle the pit out.

You can also stem the cherry and poke the pit out with a skewer or chopstick.

A final option is to use a paperclip to scoop out the pit.

Honestly, these are all messy options and to me, the messiest is the best. Just grab onto the stem and gently pull, then scoop the pit out with your finger.

This recipe calls for eight cups of tart cherries. It took a full episode of Northern Exposure for me to pit them all, about 45 minutes.

Ingredients for Make Ahead Cherry Pie Filling

• 8 Cups of Tart Cherries
• 2 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 5 Tablespoons Cornstarch

Supplies for Freezer Cherry Pie Filling

• Large Stock Pot
• Ladle
• Freezer Jars, Containers, or Plastic Freezer Bags
• Chopstick, skewer, or paperclip depending on how you’d like to pit the cherries

Recipe for Freezer Cherry Pie Filling

As with all food preservation recipes, you should always use credible sources that have been USDA tested. With that in mind, this recipe comes from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving.

First wash and pit the cherries. Drain the cherries, then add them to the stock pot along with the sugar and cornstarch. Stir them up well and allow them to rest for about thirty minutes. The mixture should be nice and juicy as the sugar breaks down the cherries.

Cook the mixture on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it starts to thicken to a pie-filling consistency. It should take about twenty minutes.

Allow the mixture to cool for an hour or so, then ladle it into jars or bags. Make sure to leave about 1/2 inch of headspace as the mixture will expand when it freezes.

Label, date, and enjoy within one year for the freshest flavor.

Crust for Cherry Pie

Why not use up some of that tart cherry pie filling right away with a delicious pie?

Check out my easy no chill pie crust recipe! Simply double the recipe to make a top and bottom crust. I’d recommend blind baking the bottom crust for about ten minutes before you add the filling or you might get a soggy bottom.

Since the pie filling is already cooked, you just need to wait for the top crust to crips up to a nice golden brown, about 40 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other Uses for Cherry Pie Filling

If cherry pie isn’t your thing you can easily use this filling as part of a cherry crisp or eaten warm over ice cream. Maybe you want to top an angel food cake with it, the sky is the limit!

Pin it for Later

Source

• Ball Blue Book Guide to Canning
• Wisconsin Garden Guide by Jerry Minnich