Table of Content
Pack the cherries into the jars and cover them with the hot sugar syrup leaving 2 cm of head space. Sugar – don’t leave out the sugar as it is the preserving agent in this recipe. You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar used. If you cringe at the amount of sugar canned goods require , use some homemade apple cider to can your cherries in! The juice can then later be warmed up and used as a hot drink.

Simonson notes that “it’s worth investing in decent garnishes,” and the complex sweet Italian cherries preserved in syrup can add depth to a Manhattan or Last Word. These lustrous red cherries would be right at home on a bar alongside olives for martinis and fresh lemons for a gin fizz. Be certain to check out all my canning recipes, including water bath and pressure canning recipes. If you are using the cherries for baking or adding to other recipes, it would be best to remove the pit before canning. When baking pie fillings, arrowroot thickens too quickly.
Cherry Cheesecake Angel Food Roll
A quick and easy way to add a homemade flavor to your cherry pie filling is to add more flavor by spice or extract. Dried spices or flavor extracts can enhance the flavor without adding more sugar. For the vanilla, combine one teaspoon with one teaspoon of almond extract.
The main benefit of a raw pack is that it cuts down on time. Because the cherries are added to the jar uncooked there’s no need to mess around with hot fruit and liquid as you’re canning. There are two main drawbacks to using the raw pack method, the first being that the fruit tends to shrink, which causes it to float in the jar. The second reason you might not want to raw pack fruit is that the natural sugars in the cherries will start to brown when exposed to heat during the canning process. This discoloration tends to happen 2 to 3 months after canning, but it doesn’t have an effect on the taste of the canned cherries.
Processing times for weighted-gauge pressure canner (hot pack, pints):
For cherries, and most other canned whole fruits, the propper headspace is 1/2 inch. Both the cherries and their canning liquid should stop 1/2 inch below the top of the glass jar edge. To ensure that the cherries stay submerged, some sources suggest you can go with 3/4 inch headspace when packing the fruit and then fill the liquid to 1/2 inch.
I find that unnecessary since even hot-packed fruit will shrink a tiny bit during canning and they’ll stay below the liquid line in the jar. The steam juicer is extracting cherry juice and the high capacity Amish canner is where I’m water bath canning the pints of cherries. Removing the seed or pit from the cherry is up to you.
Home Canned Cherry Variations
You mentioned packing sour cherries with just a little sugar. I made apple pie filling, apple butter and apple slices. There are a few ways to make canned cherry pie filling taste better. One way is to add a little bit of lemon juice to the filling. This will add a tartness to the filling that will make it taste more fresh. Another way to improve the flavor of canned cherry pie filling is to add a bit of almond extract.

Distribute the pitted and drained cherries among the jars, gently shaking the jars so that the cherries settle evenly. Fill each jar with hot canning liquid, leaving 1/2-inch headspace between the top of the liquid and the underside of the jar. Adjust lids to fingertight and wipe down the sides of the jar with a clean cloth. Load into canner and process according to the times specified below. Adding complimentary extracts to a bland canned pie filling is a fantastic way to enhance the flavor.
Cherry Chewbilees
This no-bake dessert is a must-try for anyone who enjoys apricot and raspberries. In fact, if you want to get the best apple crisp in Texas, Daughter’s Apple Crisp is the way to go. In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries, granulated sugar, and heat until hot. Heat the sugar in a medium pot over medium heat until it has melted, then cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cherries are soft. This method preserves the nutrients and flavors found in the cherries while also producing a slightly firmer texture.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. A whisk should be used to combine the ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine the slurry and the cherry pie filling. After your time is over, turn the heat off remove the lid and allow the canner to rest for about 5 minutes.
If you’re looking for a way to save time, bake several large batches at once and freeze all the leftovers before adding the filling. The crust is just slightly crispy and covered in a scrumptious homemade glaze. The filling is warm, gooey, and wonderfully fruity. There’s something about cherry pie that brings such a good dose of nostalgia.

All you need to do is wash both lids and jars in warm soapy water before using. However, if you want to be extra cautious you can go ahead and sterilize your jars as well. Just keep in mind that lids should not be put into the hot oven together with the jars as the rubber ring on the jar lids might burn if you heat them too much. Hot pack canning is when you first bring the syrup and cherries to a boil and then pour them into jars. Cold pack canning is where you pack the cherries into the jars first and then pour the hot syrup onto them.