The Mistake You Should Stop Making With Cherry Pie

Whether you're celebrating a fresh bounty or just craving a taste of summer in the cooler months, cherry pie is a delicious dessert that's excellent served on its own, and some would argue it's even better á la mode. However, although a slice looks delightfully tempting with its ruby red filling, a common complaint about cherry pie is that it can often be too tart.

The problem with a tart cherry pie can happen when using a canned cherry pie filling or even if you decide to take the extra steps and make the filling from scratch with fresh cherries. While most cherries are deliciously sweet when eaten fresh, they can end up with a tart flavor when added to a pie since most recipes call for adding lemon juice to the filling, as noted in a recipe from National Center for Home Food Preservation. However, one easy way to prevent your cherry pie from turning out too tart is by taking a preventative approach before you bake it.

As reported in Southern Living, you can remedy the overly tart flavor by tasting the pie filling before adding it to the pie pan. The article further explains that you can adjust the sweetness if needed and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar to balance the tart flavor. This tip can be helpful whether you're making a cherry pie using fresh cherries or if you opt to use canned pie filling.

No matter which type of pie filling you use, it's still a good idea to do a quick taste test and adjust the flavors when needed. For example, per The Tasty Tip, one way to reduce the tart flavor is by incorporating a secondary sweeter fruit, such as berries, apples, or peaches. Another trick is to add a form of sweetener that isn't sugar. And as Foods Guy points out, you can still get a sweeter cherry pie by adding an alternative to sugar, such as honey, agave, or even pineapple juice.