Sour Cherry Pie with Jarred Cherries

There’s something magical about the simplicity of a homemade cherry pie. The buttery, flaky crust paired with a filling that walks the line between sweet and tart – wonderful, and the pie your table needs.

I’m feeling particularly impatient with the cold. Not just because it’s winter, but also because our heat has not been working properly for the past few days. It’s hard enough to get out of bed in the morning on a dark mid-winter morning, and when it’s 41 degrees in the living room, that doesn’t help matters.

While it’s still cold enough that the prospect of double digit temperatures is exciting, our heat is fortunately working (unless I just jinxed us).

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I’ll still have to be patient for warmer temperatures but we can do some things to brighten our dark days. Like making a cherry pie that brings a bit of July to winter.

And don’t worry–I’m not going to tell you about making sour cherry pie from fresh cherries in mid-winter. That would just be annoying. Tart cherries are hard enough to find when they are in season, much less this time of year (hence I’ve had to “make do” with sweet even in the height of summer). But fortunately they can be found jarred. My local whole foods sells 24 ounce jars imported, billed either as “compote” or simply “sour cherries in sugar.” They are simply packed in their juice, which is only lightly sweetened–no viscous, cloying pie filling here. You could happily spoon this compote into your morning yogurt, or even just eat a few straight from the jar. Or, of course, make pie!

A few tweaks are in order, though. Most fresh pie recipes require you to macerate the cherries in sugar to draw out their juice–obviously that step is not necessary, but you should save some of the juice when you drain the cherries to compensate for this–I found a half cup worked well. I also added just a touch of sugar, as jarred cherries usually come pre-sweetened.

How to Make Sour Cherry Pie with Jarred Cherries

1. Prepare the Crust

• Rest the Dough: Make the pie crust ahead of time and let the dough rest in the refrigerator. Divide into two disks.
• Preheat Oven: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).

2. Prepare the Filling

• Drain and Mix: Drain the sour cherries, reserving ½ cup (120 ml) of the juice. In a large bowl, mix cornstarch, salt, cherries, sugar, lemon juice, reserved cherry juice, and vanilla extract.

3. Assemble the Pie

• Roll the Bottom Crust: Roll out one dough disk on a floured surface to a 12-inch (30 cm) round. Transfer to a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, leaving about a ½-inch (1.3 cm) overhang. If using egg white, brush it over the crust to create a seal.
• Add Filling: Spoon the cherry filling into the crust, slightly mounding in the center.

4. Create the Top Crust

• Lattice Option: Roll out the second dough disk to a 12-inch (30 cm) round. Cut ten ¾-inch-wide (2 cm) strips using a knife or pastry wheel. Lay strips over the filling in a lattice pattern, trimming overhang to ½ inch (1.3 cm). Fold the bottom crust up over the lattice ends and crimp to seal.
• Full Top Option: Roll out the second disk as a full round. Lay it over the filling, trim edges, seal, and crimp. Slash decoratively to allow steam to escape.

5. Brush and Sprinkle

• Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

6. Bake

• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for about 1 hour longer, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. If the edges brown too quickly, cover with foil.

7. Cool and Serve

• Cool the pie completely on a wire rack before serving.

101 Guide to Succeeding with Sour Cherry Pie with Canned Cherries

• Double Pie Crust: Ensure the dough is cold and rested to prevent shrinking during baking.
• Jarred Cherries: Sweetened jarred cherries are key for convenience. Adjust sugar slightly based on their sweetness.
• Cornstarch Mixing: Dissolve the cornstarch thoroughly in the cherry juice to avoid clumps.
• Preventing Soggy Crust: Brushing egg white over the bottom crust helps create a barrier against the filling.
• Baking: Use a rimmed baking sheet to avoid messes from bubbling over.

Sour Cherry Pie with Jarred Cherries

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5 from 8 reviews

• Author: Sara Clevering
• Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8

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Description

There’s something magical about the simplicity of a homemade cherry pie. The buttery, flaky crust paired with a filling that walks the line between sweet and tart – wonderful!

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Ingredients

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Double Pie Crust

• Use your favorite recipe for a double pie crust. Prepare and divide into two disks.

Filling

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 jars (24 ounces / 680 grams each) sour cherries, sweetened (reserve 1/2 cup / 120 ml of the juice)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Assembly

• 1 egg white (optional)
• Milk, for brushing
• Sugar, for sprinkling

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Instructions

1. Prepare the Crust

• Rest the Dough: Make the pie crust ahead of time and let the dough rest in the refrigerator. Divide into two disks.
• Preheat Oven: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).

2. Prepare the Filling

• Drain and Mix: Drain the sour cherries, reserving ½ cup (120 ml) of the juice. In a large bowl, mix cornstarch, salt, cherries, sugar, lemon juice, reserved cherry juice, and vanilla extract.

3. Assemble the Pie

• Roll the Bottom Crust: Roll out one dough disk on a floured surface to a 12-inch (30 cm) round. Transfer to a 9-inch (23 cm) pie dish, leaving about a ½-inch (1.3 cm) overhang. If using egg white, brush it over the crust to create a seal.
• Add Filling: Spoon the cherry filling into the crust, slightly mounding in the center.

4. Create the Top Crust

• Lattice Option: Roll out the second dough disk to a 12-inch (30 cm) round. Cut ten ¾-inch-wide (2 cm) strips using a knife or pastry wheel. Lay strips over the filling in a lattice pattern, trimming overhang to ½ inch (1.3 cm). Fold the bottom crust up over the lattice ends and crimp to seal.
• Full Top Option: Roll out the second disk as a full round. Lay it over the filling, trim edges, seal, and crimp. Slash decoratively to allow steam to escape.

5. Brush and Sprinkle

• Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

6. Bake

• Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for about 1 hour longer, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown. If the edges brown too quickly, cover with foil.

7. Cool and Serve

• Cool the pie completely on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Custom Sweetness: Taste the filling before baking and adjust sugar if necessary.

Alternative Fruit: Swap sour cherries with other fruits like raspberries or blackberries for variety.

Storage: Store leftover pie at room temperature for 1-2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat before serving.

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 320
• Sugar: 24g
• Sodium: 180mg
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 46g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 4g
• Cholesterol: 40mg