It’s the middle of July, and that mean’s sour-cherry season. Cherry pie is one of the great American desserts and not that difficult to make from scratch.
The most prevalent type of sour cherry in the United States is the Montmorency. It’s the one you are most likely to encounter in your local farmer’s market. English Morello cherries are rarely found fresh. Because I prefer the spicy taste of the darker Morello cherry, I save myself all the trouble of pitting at least four cups of sour cherries. The Morello’s can be found in jars in many supermarkets or ordered online. Here’s a picture of the brand I use. Though it doesn’t indicate that these are Morello cherries, I’m certain that’s what they are. You’ll need two 24-ounce jars. These cherries are packed in water with just a little sugar.
Jars of Morello cherries.
I find canned cherry-pie mix completely unacceptable. It is so thick and pasty, and the taste leaves a great deal to be desired. Sweet cherries do not make a successful pie in my estimation. If you decide to use the fresh Montmorency cherries, you’ll spend a good deal of the day pitting them. Also, you’ll need to adjust the amount of sugar and cornstarch accordingly.
Do use a good homemade pie crust for this recipe. To see my recipe click here. You’ll need to double the recipe for the cherry pie. I do this in two batches.
If you are using jarred Morello cherries, drain them. You should have about 4 cups or more of cherries and 3 cups of liquid cherry juice.
Draining the cherries.
The amounts of sugar and cornstarch in this recipe can only be estimated, because it depends on how much cherry juice you have, how tart the cherries are, and what level of sweetness and thickness you prefer. So adjust accordingly.
In a saucepan, whisk together about a cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and a bit of salt. Then whisk in the cherry juice.
Whisking the sugar, cornstarch, and cherry juice.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens.
Cook the liquid until it thickens.
Add the cherries and continue to cook, checking for thickness, because the cherries will add extra liquid. If the mixture is too thin, dissolve more cornstarch with water, and add to the cherries, while continuing to cook. If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of water.
Add the cherries to the thickened liquid.
Taste the mixture for sweetness. If too tart, add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cook until thoroughly dissolved. Off the heat, stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice, or to taste, as well as about a teaspoon of almond extract. These additions help bring out the best flavor in the cherries. Set aside to cool.
Roll out the bottom pie crust about an inch larger than your 9-inch pie pan. Beat together one egg with a bit of water.
The egg wash.
Paint the bottom crust with this egg wash. This helps seal the crust, preventing sogginess.
Paint the crust with egg wash.
Pour the cherries into the crust and dot with unsalted butter.
Dot the cherries with butter.
Roll out the top crust larger than your 9-inch pie pan. Cut the top crust into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Lay half of the strips horizontally, using the longest strips at the center, where the diameter is greatest. Fold back every other strip, starting from the second strip. Then place a strip vertically, and unfold the folded horizontal strips. Then fold back every other strip beginning with the first strip. Place another vertical strip, and unfold the folded horizontal strips. Continue until the pie is covered in lattice. There are many You Tube sites that show you exactly how to do this.
Creating the lattice top.
Don’t worry if your strips break when you fold and unfold (as mine did). It will all look fine once it’s baked. Moisten the overhang from the bottom crust with you finger dipped in water. Gather the ends of the strips and pinch together with the overhang. Raise the pinched edge and form a scallop shape with your finger or the handle of a butter knife.
Carefully brush the lattice strips with the remaining egg wash, and sprinkle each strip with sugar (coarse if you have it). This will give a beautifully golden and sparkly lattice.
Chill the pie for about 30 minutes. This helps ensure that the lattice maintains its shape as it’s baked. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Once preheated, place the chilled pie onto the hot baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Then lower the heat to 375 degrees and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the filling is beginning to bubble and the crust is golden brown.
Bake the pie on a heated pan.
Cool on a rack for at least 3-4 hours before slicing and serving.
Cool the finished pie.
