Cherries

Life is a bowl full of cherries!!! Isn't that some old retro saying?? I got blessed with FREE cherries the other day..the first batch was lovingly dropped at my door...the second batch....my youngest son and I had to pick ....but that was half the fun!!! THANKYOU Granny for sharing your bounty with us and We LOVE YOU for thinking of us!! So, along with all those cherries came the recipe for cherry pie filling! I've never made this before but was very excited to try it! Last summer we planted a variety of cherry shrubs along our fence for privacy....but they won't produce for a few years yet. They're about 4 feet tall now and grow to 7....so one day soon I'll have my very own supply of cherries WOO! Here's the recipe:

8 cups cherries pitted (2 quarts)
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 Tablespoons cornstarch

Wash and pit cherries. In a large bowl mix cherries, sugar and cornstarch.....let sit about 1/2 hour to get the juices going. Put in a large pot....heat til boiling and thick...Let cool...ready to use now or put in containers and freeze. You can use right away for pie, cobblers or tarts or spooned over homemade yogurt. It's good stuff!! You can add red food coloring to perk up the color....I added about 6 drops of liquid to mine.

Getting cozy with the sugar and cornstarch:


All cooked and nice and thick!!


Finished and ready for pies!! Aren't they pretty!!!


Now if you're gonna freeze in your ball jars just leave enough head room for things to expand. This was very frugal to do.....just mainly your time to pick, pit and cook!! Cherry pie filling in the can is just about the most expensive pie filling there is! To help with costs don't go out and buy containers....just freeze in Tupperware.....freezer baggies...or any glass/plastic jar you have saved and washed out....we save most our jars here as they come in handy for SO many different things!!!!