Super Simple Cherry Filling

This cherry pie filling is #DELICIOUS, I would not dare to joke about something so amazing. It always seems that I think about canning cherries the day after the season ends and the stores stop selling them.... Not this year though! This recipe would be so good in a pie or as homemade pop tarts... Or to eat. 

 A few notes first:

• We ended up canning about 12-ish mason jars (we forgot to write down the exact amount that day!) and 2 smaller ones that would be good to use first! I have no idea how to make this recipe smaller to make it for just one pie. Maybe we will do that in the future! 
• The cherry juice we bought tasted like cough syrup and that is why we ended up using apple juice, so use it if you want or eyeball it and just use apple juice, you can't tell in the finished product either way. 
• BUY A CHERRY PITTER BEFORE PITTING 4 POUNDS OF CHERRIES! We used this video but honestly it's full of lies because this method doesn't work. It took an extra 2 hours of pitting. We could have gone back out and bought one but we had already gone to the store. However you do have to chug a beer or two because you need a glass bottle, so that's the upside. 
• This is a great crockpot recipe. It makes it really easy to have it simmering in the slow cooker while you can it! 

Anyways......

CHERRY PIE FILLING

4 lb pitted fresh cherries

2 1/4 c sugar

1 lemon (fresh squeezed juice)

1 pkg liquid pectin 

1 tbsp. almond extract 

(optional BUT if you do use it we used this one, seriously makes all the difference) 

1/2 c. cherry juice

1/2-3/4 c. apple juice apple juice

Pit the cherries 

Bring everything to boil for at least 5 minutes to make sure the sugar dissolves 

Turn down to simmer 

Add apple and or cherry juice as the liquid levels get low while canning

Can 

xoxo,

Molly & Cara

P.S. Thank you Mom for making up this recipe!!