cherrypiesqueezer treasure page

Welcome to the cherrypiesqueezer treasure page.

Making homemade cherry pie straight from the tree is an endeavor that is fun to do with friends and family and will leave your tastebuds SCREAMING with joy.

Step1

This part may end up being the most fun.

True, you could use canned cherries, BUT if you have access to a "pick-your-own" cherry orchard, you will have lots of fun getting them. Plus the pie will taste WAY BETTER at the end when fresh cherries are used. Please note here, you need the sour or tart cherries to make a pie. Sweet cherries are not generally for baking.

Step2

Okay now for the next best part, the pit removal. You will need an extra pan for the seeds. Some folks like to use a knife to get those pesky seeds out, but we prefer to SQUEEZE them out. It's a pit like popping a zit.

Step3

Gather your favorite people around, sit on the porch or deck or anyplace where sprayed cherry juice won't be a problem, and then spend some quality time talking, laughing, and SQUEEZING.
** Be careful not to get any seeds in the good bowl or you'll be eating them with the pie.

Step4

Here we see demonstrated the proper Squeezing method. It really is fun. Some folks can do two at a time!

Step5

Now its time to gather your supplies:

1 cup (200g) sugar
1.5 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups (1L) fresh or canned sour cherries, seeds removed
2.5 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
2 teaspoons butter
Ingredients to make two 9-inch crusts
2.5 cups (350 g) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.75 dL) butter flavored shortening
6-8 tablespoons of very cold water

Step6

Preheat your oven to 425 degree F (220 degrees C)

To get the cherry filling ready, mix the sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl, add the cherries (if canned, drain them; use only 1/4 cup of sugar and add 1/2 cup of the juice to the sugar mixture), and toss until well coated.

Step7

Now its time to get those pie crusts made. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or an egg whisker or even two knives.

Step8

You want to combine it lightly until the mixture resembles coarse meal or very tiny peas: its texture will not be uniform but will contain crumbs and small bits and pieces.

Step9

Now it's time to get down to business. Sprinkle very cold water over the flour mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and mix lightly with a fork. Use only enough water until you reach the point where it will form a ball when squeezed in your hand.

Step10

Separate that dough into two balls, roll the first one flat and place it in your pan. Be sure you roll a big enough circle to fill the bottom of the pan and still have some laying over the edges. Then pour in your cherry mixture.

Step11

Roll the second ball out flat and lay it on top of the cherry mixture then take the extra dough laying around the edges and squeeze it into a decorative edge mound the entire way around the pie. Remember you need to lock in all that juice that is going to cook up out of your cherries.

At this point you want to cut a design on the top crust. This allows juice to evaporate out a bit and basically keeps the pie from exploding. We at themathlab.com like the symbol pi. Somehow it seems appropriate here.

Step12

To prevent that all too disappointing thing called burnt edges, we recommend wrapping about 3 inches of foil around the outer perimeter before baking.

Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and bake 30-40 minutes more or until the crust is browned. Every oven is different so keep an eye on it and take it out when it looks golden browned and delicious.

Step13

Ooh la la! Oh baby, baby! Your kitchen is gonna smell great. And your tastebuds are about to experience true ecstasy.

Step14

EVERYBODY

EAT!

This recipe came from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It is filled with tons of great eating and will teach you a lot about cooking along with the recipes. It gets out highest recommendation.