Boy, did it ever! I'll never eat a pie made from canned cherries again.
Fresh Cherry Pie
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
2 prepared pie crusts (store bought or homemade), rolled and ready to use
5 cups pitted sour or Bing cherries (2 to 2 1/2 lbs.)
1 1/4 cups sugar (3/4 cup for Bing cherries)
3 to 3 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch or quick-cooking tapioca
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 to 2 drops red food coloring (optional–I didn’t use it)
2 to 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Fit one of the rolled pie crusts in a 9 to 10″ deep dish pie plate.
Place the pitted cherries in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and cornstarch. Toss. Add water, lemon juice, almond extract, and food coloring (if using). Toss again to coat, making sure no lumps of sugar or cornstarch remain.
Pour the cherries into the prepared pie plate. Dot with the 2-3 Tbsp. unsalted butter.
Fit the second rolled pie crust on top of the filling and crimp the edge to seal the top and bottom crust together. Use a fork to poke holes along the top of the pie. Use any extra pie crust scraps for decoration, if desired. Place the pie plate on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflowing juices.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Lower oven to 350 degrees F, and let the pie continue to bake for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until the top and bottom are golden brown, and the juices are bubbling and syrupy. Cool the finished pie on a rack until ready to serve.
Dar, funny, we just did the cherry picking pie thing too. My recipe was different, delicious too, but it didn't have almond in it. I bet that's a good addition! Maybe I'll just have to make another cherry pie!
ReplyDeleteI made this, mine was to watery. What could I have done wrong?
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight and it was so terribly disappointing. I followed your recipe exactly and when I cut into my beautiful crust, there was nothing but a lake of purple liquid inside with whole, rubbery cherries floating in it. They didn't cook down, and the amount of liquid made the pie inedible. I am so sad to have wasted very expensive, delicious cherries we could have enjoyed raw. I'd definitely suggest revising your recipe before others are disappointed as well.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this recipe didn't work for you, Calvin & Krista! I've tried it multiple times and it has always turned out great. I always use cherries that I've picked. Maybe they have less juice....
ReplyDeleteI don't know if altitude could have anything to do with it, but I'm at a very high altitude.