Cherry Pie Filling

This is the cherry pie filling recipe you have been looking for. The one exactly like the pie filling you buy in the can, but better, because you know what is in it, and made it yourself.

Published within the Perfect Cheesecake post, where it is used in place of the sour cream topping.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (960 ml) pitted sour cherries fresh and pitted, then frozen and drained
• 2 cup (480 ml) cherry juice (I got more than 2 cups (480 ml) when my frozen cherries thawed)
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) cornstarch
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) brown sugar
• ⅓ cup (80 ml) white sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond extract
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla

Instructions

1. Thaw the cherries and hang them in a sieve over a bowl for a couple hours to separate the cherries from the juice.
2. Blend the cornstarch with both sugars. Place the juice in a medium saucepan and whisk in the dry ingredients as you sprinkle them over the juice through a sieve.
3. Over medium-low heat, stir until thickened and clear; the mixture will be very thick.
4. Add the strained cherries, stirring constantly to bring the mixture back to a boil, 1-2 minutes (it won't really boil, but will just plop-plop for a minute or two as you continue to stir constantly).
5. Remove from the heat immediately, as the cherries are tender and should not be overcooked.
6. Stir in the almond and vanilla, then pour into a canning jar.
7. Cool to room temperature.
8. Freeze the pie filling, process it to make it shelf stable, or store it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks in a tightly sealed container.

Notes: I measure my cherries every year, after pitting, into 2 cup bags for freezing. Therefore, I know I have 4 cups of cherries and the juice from the frozen cherries is necessary for this filling. You will find you have about 2½ cups juice. Don't even think about putting the extra juice into the recipe