Homemade Cherry Pie

Homemade cherry pie from homegrown pie cherries!

Ok, I know this isn't a cake. And it wasn't my week to make the cake-of-the-week either. But it was my hubby's birthday and I suspect the main reason he married me is because I'm a pie cherry tree heiress and have been picking pie cherries and making cherry pies since I was a teen. Could you deduce that cherry pie is his favorite?

So what's the deal with pie cherries anyway? Can't you just save a ton of work and used canned filling? Well, yes, I suppose YOU could. But not me! I love tart pie cherries and nothing else will do for cherry pie. The stuff in the can may be convenient but...

Cherry pie making secret weapon

Anyway, each year we pick, pit and freeze pie cherries on cookie sheets and then put them in zip top bags. When it comes time to make a pie, I have a secret weapon I'd like to share. It's my blow dryer. I pour the frozen cherries into a big colander inside a big bowl and 'toss' them with a wooden spoon while thawing them with my blow dryer turned on high. That way, I get the cherries thawed and ready to cook into filling without them turning brown. And I also get the juice needed for future pies drained out of the colander into the bowl, ready to freeze in ice cube trays. How clever am I?

Tried and true cherry pie recipe

Even though it's not a cake and it's not my week, I'll share my Cherry Pie recipe. (Think of it as a bonus!)

Ingredients

·         1½ c sugar

·         ¼ t salt

·         ¼ c cherry juice

·         4 c pie cherries

·         1T butter

·         ¼ c corn starch

·         ¼ cup cherry juice (yes, a second ¼ cup)

Directions

1.      Combine sugar, salt and ¼ cup cherry juice and cook to a rolling boil.

2.      Add cherries and butter. Bring back to a boil (this may take a while) and cook 2 minutes.

3.      Stir together corn starch and ¼ cup cherry juice to make a smooth paste and add to boiling cherry mixture. Cook until thick, stirring constantly (this may happen almost immediately.

4.      Let cool while you make the pie crust.

5.      Bake 30 minutes at 425 degrees F.

As for our rating, I don't even have to do a poll. I can tell you with absolute certainty that this delicious homemade cherry pie rates right around 15 on a scale of 1-10. Seriously - 15