Canning Cherry Pie Filling – easy water bath method
This page may contain affiliate links. More Information.
I love canning cherry pie filling ahead of time so when I’m ready to bake, the hard work is already done. Just open a jar, pour it into a crust, and you’re halfway there.
You can use either sweet cherries (like the ones in my photos) or tart cherries. There is a difference in flavor but both work just fine. On this page you’ll learn how to can cherrie pie filling using sweet or sour cherries, and processing it in a water bath canner.
Quick Look: Canning Cherry Pie Filling
- Processing Method: Water bath canning
- Quantity: About 7 quarts (see yield notes below)
- Skill Level: Intermediate (mostly because of all the cherry prep)
Can You Use Bing Cherries for pie filling?
Yes you can use bing cherries when you are canning. Any cherry works. The pictures on this page are actually Bing cherries. They are much sweeter than the tart pie cherries. Tart are better for pie… but we’ve made pie many many times with sweet cherries and no one has complained!
Pitting cherries for pie filling.
This is one of those recipes where nothing is complicated… but a few parts take a little patience. And pitting is the part that takes patience!
I always found it easier to just sit down and get into a rhythm. When my boys were still at home, they were the ones doing most of the pitting. Funny how that worked out. We’d listen to audio books or just talk and eat cherries as they got pitted.
If you’ve got a cherry pitter that works well, hang onto it. Not all of them do.
I’ve tried many cherry pitters with disappointment. There is one I like so far. The workers in the house (my sons) approve too. They are the ones who did most of the pitting here while they were growing up. I’ve got a video review here showing how the pitter works with my boys in action. (ahem you may see some cherry juice stained faces!)
Blanching
Dip cherries into boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Drain.
Keep cherries warm. I do this simply by covering the pot after draining until I am ready to mix in the thickener.
Do you really have to blanch the cherries?
Yes you really should blanch. Every tested recipe I find has blanching instruction. The fruit is softened, the cherries will mix into the thickener much nicer. Speaking of thickener… that is another important step.
How to thicken cherry pie filling for canning
The only thickener recommended for canning pie filling is a product called clear jel. It is a powdered product. In older practices flour or cornstarch could be used. But recommendations have changed. With flour or cornstarch the product may thicken too much causing issues with heat penetration. Or the thickener may clump.
Clear jel handles the heat of processing and gives you a beautiful safe filling. Be sure you are using a regular “cook type” clear jel. There is also an instant version, but instant does not hold up to processing. You’ll end up with runny pie filling. Still delicious but not so good for pie.
Making the thickener (with clear jel)
Specific measurements are in the recipe card below but the basic steps are:
- Combine sugar and (cook type) Clear Jel in a large pan.
- Add water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Add cinnamon and almond extract if using.
- When mixture begins to thicken and bubble, add the lemon juice and boil for 1 minute.
- Add cherries, stirring gently to mix.
Fill hot jars with hot cherry pie filling, leaving 1″ headspace. Wipe the rims clean, remove any air bubbles, and place your lids.
You’ll process according to water bath canning processes. (more details here)
Pints and quarts are processed for the same time.
Process in a water bath canner for 30 minutes.
Please remember to adjust for altitude using the chart below. Read Altitude Adjustments to learn more.
All the step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cherry pie filling, canned in batches, gives you the freedom to make a cherry pie or cobbler on the fly! Just pop open a jar and pour into a pie crust or in a bowl to eat with a spoon.
Related Pages
- Canning Cherries plain. Use them for making quick cobblers, pies, or desserts.
- Freezing Cherries is easy and gives you a taste of summer, even when there’s snow on the ground. Sweet and delicious!
Canning Cherry Pie Filling
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 quarts Cherries
- 7 cups Sugar
- 1 ¾ cups Clear Jel
- 9 ⅓ cups Water
- ½ cup Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoons Cinnamon optional
- 2 teaspoons Almond Extract optional
Instructions
- Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed. See full water bath canning instructions here.
Prepare Cherries
- Wash and pit cherries.
- Place pitted cherries in boiling water. Boil 1 minute.
- Drain, but keep warm.
Prepare Clear Jel
- In a separate pot, cook sugar, Clear Jel, and water over medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Add cinnamon and almond extract (optional).
- Once thick and bubbling, add lemon juice. Boil for 1 minute.
Prepare Filling
- Add warm cherries to filling mix and stir gently to combine.
- Fill hot jar with hot filling, leaving 1" headspace.
- Remove air bubbles, wipe the rim clean, and place seal and ring.
- Place jar in the warm canner. Proceed to fill all jars.
- Process according to chart below.
Notes
Adapted from: The National Center for Home Food Preservation
Make Cherry Pie Filling Without Clear Jel
If you really don’t want to use Clear Jel, there’s an easy solution. Just can your cherries plain, (directions here) then thicken them when you’re ready to make your pie. It’s actually very simple. Two quarts of canned cherries for one pie.
- Drain your cherries. Set aside the cherries and add the juice into a pot. (don’t heat yet)
- Whisk 2 T flour into the juices.
- Now heat, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken as it comes to a boil.
- Gently fold in the cherries. Continue to heat until heated through.
That’s it. You’ve got homemade cherry pie filling. No Clear Jel needed. Pour it into your pie crust and bake as usual.
Cherry Rhubarb Pie
I really love a cherry-rhubarb flavor combination. To make a cherry-rhubarb pie, simply add a cup or two of chopped rhubarb when you open the jar of cherry pie filling to make your pie. You can use fresh or frozen rhubarb. Proceed to fill your crust and bake as usual.
i obviously did not cook my liquid and clear gel (cook type) long enough now my filling is runny in the jars. Any way to fix this and re can or should i wait until i use it and thicken it then?
I would say thicken it when you use the jars. Otherwise your cherries will be over cooked.
Hi Sharon,
I followed you instructions and yet each jar that I removed from the canner, some filling oozed out. I will let them sit, as I have had this happen before and they still sealed. Do you know what causes this?
Thanks,
Barbara
Pie filling is notorious for oozing. The only advice I have is to be accurate on headspace and Over processing will cause the filling to swell more. Watch your time. The processing boil should be a rolling boil, bubbles need to be happening and the water rolling, but it does not need to be boiling so hard it is splashing out of the canner.
My pie filling does ooze on occasion too. Double check the seals. :).
If I were to use frozen cherries, would you equate one pound for each quart or would it be more? I made some apple pie filling & saw this. I love cherries, so it’d be wonderful to be able to convert & get recipe right. Thanks for sharing.
Marty, I have not weighed it out so I’m not sure on that. It does seem like you’d need more pounds. I can say that 1 quart would be about 3.5 cups. (I always over estimate just a bit so I don’t run out. It might be a bit less needed.) Hopefully that helps.
I’ve been canning this season using honey instead of sugar. Can I do this with the pie filling as well?