Cherry Pie Filling
Makes seven 500ml jars. Original recipe here, divided in two to fit my canner.
Ingredients
12 cups Fresh Cherries
3 1/2 cups Sugar
7/8 cups Clear Jel (cook type)
4.65 cups Cold Water
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 cup Lemon Juice (bottled)
Instructions
Rinse and pit fresh cherries. Hold in cold water. (Won't that remove some juice?)
For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 4 liters boiling water.
Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil.
Drain but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot.
Combine sugar and Clear Jel in a large pot and add water, cinnamon.
Stir mixture and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.
Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Fold in drained cherries immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace.
Adjust lids and process immediately according to the below table.
| Altitude | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 0 - 1,000 ft | 30 min |
| 1,001 - 3,000 ft | 35 min |
| 3,001 - 6,000 ft | 40 min |
| Above 6,000 ft | 45 min |
Processing time for pint or quart sized jars. Calgary is at 1,045 ft.
Notes
Select fresh, very ripe, and firm cherries. Unsweetened frozen cherries may be used. If sugar has been added, rinse it off while the fruit is still frozen.
Clear Jel is a modified corn starch that can withstand the heat of canning without clumping. It's a powder extracted from ground corn. I use the Hoosier Hill brand, which seems to work. (More info)