Cherry Pie (Almost) Like Mother Made

Mother didn’t keep many written recipes. Most everything she cooked or baked was by memory, and a number of things she made were passed down to her from her own mother. I watched Mother cook all my life, but I didn’t make enough notes. It’s been a year now since Mother passed away, and I’m still trying to duplicate some of her recipes. One of those recipes is her cherry pie.

I know lots of cooks use pre-made filling for cherry pies, but Mother always made hers with canned tart cherries. I know what ingredients she used in her cherry pie, I’m just not sure of her exact measurements. After some trial and error of adjusting measurements, I believe this cherry pie version is close to the one Mother made.

Print Recipe

Cherry Pie (Almost) Like Mother Made

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 (15 ounce) cans red tart cherries, drained with 2/3 cup juice reserved
A few drops red food coloring
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon butter
Unbaked double pie crust (I used my Mother’s pie crust recipe)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cherry juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring, cherries, almond extract, and butter. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Cover with second crust, sealing and venting, or may use lattice crust. Bake for 35 minutes until crust is brown. During the last 10 minutes of baking time cover edges of crust with aluminum foil. Cool on wire rack.