Canning Tart Cherry Pie Filling Regular and Sugar Free Versions

When you make cherry pie do you use the sweet cherries from the store or do you prefer the tart cherries. I like the tart Montmorency cherries the best for pie. You have the sweetness of the sugar and the tartness of the cherry and it is just about a perfect blend.

First, if you wish your pies to have lots of fruits, you can add a pint of plain fruit to the pie while making it. Most canned pie filling, store-bought or homemade alike, have a lot of thickener filling but not enough amount of fruit. The best solution here is to use one quart of homemade canned pie filling in your pie crusts and adding a pint of the similar fruit used. Just ensure that you drain the pint of fruit well.

It will create less thickener and add more fruit to your pies.
You should also avoid filling your jars with fruits first before pouring in the thickener. This will only make a mess. The thickener will inevitably thicken enough that it won’t be able to flow down between fruits in the jar. It would be easier to mix the fruits with the thickener first before filling your jars.

The next one is more of a warning instead of a tip. Don’t forget to process the jars you will be using for canning. The processing helps stabilize the jar shelf. There are times when hot packs can make the jars hot enough and cool later, with the lid snapping down. However, this will not be sterilized unless you process it.

Healthy Canning shares a recipe for canning tart cherry pie filling with 2 versions. You can choose one with sugar or one made with stevia for about half the calories per quart.

https://www.healthycanning.com/home-canned-sour-cherry-pie-filling