Back To Betty - Recipe Review: Canned Cherry Pie

Review: First Impression - I wanted to try this recipe because I was pretty sure it would be better than a pie made with canned cherry pie filling and also I have a very hard time getting fresh sour cherries where I live. I'm glad I gave it a whirl.

I need to note that I did one thing differently in this recipe - I did NOT add the flour.

I don't like gloppy pie filling and I was pretty sure that the addition of flour to the cooking fruit/sugar mixture was going to generate a pie filling almost indistinguishable from that canned filling I dislike.

 

Found on page 303 of the 1950 Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook, the recipe uses canned sour cherries (NOT canned cherry pie filling), sugar, the juice from the can of cherries, almond extract, cinnamon  and the basic Betty vintage crust. (page 299).

If you don't own the book and need the master recipe for the crust click here.

Recipe notes:

1) It says to use 2 3/4 cups canned cherries and juice but does not really tell you how much of the measurement can be juice and how much should be cherries. I was not adding the flour so I was pretty sure I would need more cherries and liquid (and the mixture cooks down) so I used two entire cans of cherries and the water they were packed in. If I make this again I will probably cut the water in half because the cherries generate more liquid as they cook.

2) Because I was skipping the flour I added more sugar to help the mixture thicken - sort of like making cherry jam.

3) There is a note in the recipe to put the top crust on the pie quickly once you have the filling added. This is very important to do so you don't get a bottom crust that gets soggy or refuses to brown. I made sure the top crust was all rolled out and ready to go before I even started the filling. If you are afraid it will dry out, cover lightly with plastic wrap.

4) The pie cooks in a very hot oven so make sure to use a pie shield to keep the edge crust from burning. I did this but added it too late and the crust got very dark. (Everyone ate it anyway :-) )

Final Impression: Turned out not too bad but also not my favorite. I might try it again and see how it works with frozen cherries - something that probably was not readily available in 1950.

But I sill maintain that when it comes to cherry pie really nothing beats a pie made with fresh sour cherries!

For notes on the other cherry pie recipes in the 1950 edition of the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook click here.

Additional images for reference:

I used 2 cans basic store brand canned tart cherries packed in water

You must cook the cherries first - let the mixture thicken and the cherries will get more red the longer you cook them.

The filling shrank down so the pie was pretty flat - I might add more cherries next time. But it set up well and cut easily.

Here you can see how well the filling held together when I served a slice.

If you are just finding the blog for the first time you might want to explore the other articles on pie and Betty Crocker's 1950 Picture Cookbook. You can find them by clicking the "All About Pie" and "Back To Betty" categories in the right hand side bar.

Comments

[Becky]

I have the 1961 "Betty Crocker's New Picture Cookbook". It's been my most-used cookbook since I got it when I got married in 1967. The recipe for "Canned Cherry Pie" is on page 347. In this version, the fruit and juice are measured separately. For 9" pie, use 1/2 c juice and 3 1/2 c cherries. For 8", use 1/2 c juice and 2 1/2 c cherries. All remaining ingredients are the same.

Below it is the one-sentence recipe for Frozen Fruit Pie which simply says to use the above recipe except reduce the sugar by 1/2 c. (Reducing the sugar makes no sense to me. Or is frozen fruit sugared?)

A note at the bottom of the page says that you can avoid cooking the filling by substituting for the flour thickener. Use "2 1/2 to 3 tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca for 9" pie, 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. for 8" pie". "Combine sugar, spices, tapioca. Mix through fruit and juice before pouring into pastry-lined pie pan." That makes it sound like the only reason for cooking the canned-cherry filling is to cook the flour. I guess the fruit is cooked enough in the canning process.

I'm loving your baking adventures and your harp music!

[Anne Morse Hambrock]

Becky - that is all very interesting! Thank you!

I've purposely been making the point that I'm using the 1950 edition because of exactly what you are pointing out - that later editions are quite different in both page numbers and specific recipes.

I'll keep your comments in mind if I try this recipe again.

So glad you are enjoying the blog - please feel free to pass links to friends if you think they would enjoy also :-)

[Jeffery]

The flour in the filling is what makes it so firm you can eat a slice like you would eat a sandwich. It's also very good with almond extract, which makes it taste like marciano cherries.

[Nancy]

I have always used tapioca and do not cook filling first. Just put almond flavor tapioca. Drain pie cherries but leave 1/2 cup juice with berries and sugar