The Best Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
marilynpeight
30 minutes
10 minutes
Dessert
American
4
quarts
Equipment
-
Large pot (6–8 quart) — useful for containing bubbling and splattering while cooking.
-
Canning funnel — helpful for transferring hot filling into jars cleanly.
-
Quart jars with sealable lids — optional if using fresh, but recommended for canning and storage.
Ingredients
-
8
cups
water -
3
cups
granulated sugar
adjust to taste if using sweeter cherries -
6
oz.
cherry Jello
(two 3 oz. packages or 2/3 cup cherry gelatin) -
1
cup
quick-cook Clear Jel
(for thickening) -
1
teaspoon
almond extract -
1
teaspoon
salt -
10
cups
sour cherries, washed and pitted
or a sweet/sour hybrid—adjust sugar as needed
Instructions
-
In a large 6–8 quart pot, combine the water, granulated sugar, cherry Jello, and quick-cook Clear Jel. Stir constantly over medium-high heat to prevent lumps. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until it becomes thick and clear, then remove from heat.
-
Stir in the salt and almond extract. Gently fold in the cherries, adding as many as you prefer for your desired filling-to-cherry ratio.
-
Ladle the hot pie filling into jars or use immediately. Refrigerate if you plan to use within a week. To preserve longer, process jars in a hot water bath (see canning notes below).
Notes
If the filling seems too thin for baking in pies, cobblers, or crisps, make a slurry of additional Clear Jel and cold water, stir it into the filling, and bring back to a boil. Cook until the mixture clears and thickens to your desired consistency.
This recipe scales well—double, triple, or more if you plan to can multiple jars.
Cherry pie filling, sour cherry filling, cherry Jello, Clear Jel
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Equipment needed for this homemade cherry pie filling:
- Large pot (6–8 quart) — to contain bubbling while cooking.
- Canning funnel — helpful for transferring hot filling into jars cleanly.
- Quart jars with sealable lids — optional if using fresh, recommended for canning and long-term storage.
Canning this cherry pie filling:
Disclaimer: Hot water bath canning requires care and some experience. If you are not familiar with water-bath canning, consider seeking advice from an experienced canner or consult up-to-date, authoritative canning resources before proceeding.
For hot water bath canning: clean jar rims thoroughly and use new or undamaged lids. Fill jars only about 3/4 full to allow for expansion. Place jars into the canner and add enough water to come about 1 inch above the jar tops (or to the necks of the jars). Bring the canner to a full rolling boil and process jars for 15–20 minutes. Remove jars with a jar lifter and set them on a towel without moving for 18–24 hours. If a jar does not seal within the first several hours, refrigerate and use within a week.
Note: This recipe can be doubled, tripled, or scaled up for canning.
Ingredients summary: Granulated sugar, cherry Jello, almond extract, salt, cherries, and Clear Jel.
Substitutions:
If you don’t have almond extract, vanilla or cherry extract can be used—add to taste. You may use sweet cherries or a sweet/sour hybrid; reduce the sugar if using sweeter cherries to avoid an overly sweet filling.
Canned cherry pie filling is a convenient pantry item for the winter months—reserve jars so you can quickly bake a cherry cobbler, pie, or top pancakes and waffles any time. Cherry filling tends to keep well, making it a favorite to prepare and preserve.
Ways to use this cherry pie filling:
Use it in cherry pies, oatmeal cherry bars, cobblers, crisps, or as an ice cream or pancake topping. It also works well spooned over waffles or stirred into baked oatmeal for a fruity twist.
Feel free to save this recipe for later and share photos of your results on social media. Thank you for trying this family-inspired cherry pie filling recipe.
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