Description
Sour Cherry Pie is a quintessential summer dessert that combines tart, juicy cherries with a flaky, buttery crust. This recipe, adapted from the Pennsylvania State Grange Cookbook, captures the essence of homemade pie-making with a from-scratch filling and crust. It’s the perfect way to showcase fresh sour cherries, offering a rich, authentic flavor that store-bought versions can’t replicate. Whether you’re using fresh, home-canned, or frozen cherries, this pie will transport you to a simpler, more delicious time.
Ingredients
For the Cherry Filling:
1 lb (1 quart box) sour cherries (fresh or frozen)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
For the Pie Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup cold shortening (such as Crisco)
½ cup ice-cold water (with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar added)
Instructions
- Cherry Filling:
- Pit the Cherries: This step is essential to avoid bitter, unpitted cherries in your pie. If you don’t have a cherry pitting tool, you can manually pit each cherry with a knife or small tool.
- Make the Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, sugar, and water. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice and pitted cherries, and stir to mix.
- Cook the Filling: Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and turns a rich red color. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. Allow it to cool before using.
- Pie Crust:
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, mix the flour and salt together.
- Incorporate Shortening: Add the cold shortening to the flour and use a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour until well-incorporated.
- Add Water: Slowly incorporate the ice-cold water (with vinegar), one tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to come together.
- Shape Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, divide it into two equal portions, and form them into discs. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before rolling out.
- Roll and Assemble: Roll out the first disc of dough and fit it into your pie plate. Add the cooled cherry filling. Roll out the second disc and either cover the pie entirely or cut it into strips to form a lattice top.
- Bake: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the pie on a baking sheet (to catch any spills) and bake for 45–55 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie cool before serving.
Notes
- Frozen Cherries: If fresh sour cherries aren’t available, you can substitute frozen sour cherries. Just be sure to thaw them before use.
- Sweet Cherry Pie: If you prefer a sweeter flavor, you can use sweet cherries, but keep in mind that the result will be less tart.
- Butter Crust: If you prefer a butter crust over shortening, simply replace the shortening with cold butter for a richer flavor.
- Lattice Top: Instead of a solid top crust, you can create a beautiful lattice top to showcase the filling. Simply cut the dough into strips and weave them over the top of the filling.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45–55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 300 kcal
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
