Since they are probably sweetened you would need to use Pomonas Pectin to get a gel. There would be no way to determine how much sugar is in the canned ones. That would be my advice, use Pomona's.

My dh' favorite dessert is cherry pie, and I have made dozens of pies in the 22 years we've been together--high school sweethearts. Fresh sour cherries are difficult to find and also very expensive. Even frozen sour cherries are scarce. We lived in the Detroit area for a few years and even then it was difficult to find pie cherries. We were young newlyweds, so it wasn't possible to afford to stock up on cherries for more than a couple of pies. We were fortunate enough to have a few friends who introduced us to Trader Joes and Zingermanns. Then we moved to Chicago and discovered Richard Walker's Pancake House in Crystal Lake. We fell in love with the Montmorrency cherry Belgian waffles. A friend mentioned that Trader Joe's Monchello cherries were similar and made a wonderful waffle and crepes topping. I then tried making a pie filling with them, which my dh loved. I agree with those that say tapioca makes the best thickener. My key for the best filling is cooking it on the stovetop to ensure the correct thickness and flavour. I take the filling off the stove when it's still a bit too runny because it will continue to cook in the oven. I've also made pies with sweet cherries-- fresh and frozen. I add a bit more lemon for tartness and less sugar. I'm not a fan of a lot of almond extract. A few drops of real almond extract in the lemon juice for making filling with sweet cherries gives it a little j'en n'aise pas although I prefer a little splash of Amaretto in all my pie fillings if possible.

Hi Linda, Here are the Zuni Cafe & two Junior League recipes for tomato pies. I included the California JL recipe because it calls for Cheddar rather than the milder white cheeses that most recipes specify, so it's different. (This cookbook has been one of myt favorites & very reliable for me for over 30 years.) I hope you enjoy. Savory Onion Tarts with Saffron, Tomato, Anchovies & Olives Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook 4 servings 1 package puff-pastry, defrosted 3 tbsp. olive oil 3 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced salt 1 bay leaf a sprig of thyme a few saffron threads 1 small, very ripe tomato or 15-20 cherry tomatoes (about 3 oz) 4 salt-packed anchovy filets, cut lengthwise into 3 or 4 strips each extra-virgin olive oil 4 mild black olives Warm the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a few sprinkles of salt. Let the onions cook until they start browning, then stir and let the onions cook again, stirring every few minutes until all the onions are lightly golden. Add the bay leaf, thyme and saffron, stir and cook until the onions are golden and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Slice the tomato about 1/4 �inch thick or halve the cherry tomatoes, and salt very lightly. Let set for a few minutes to drain, then pat with a towel to sop up moisture. Drizzle the anchovies with extra-virgin olive oil When you are ready to assemble the tarts, turn on the oven to 400F. Grease a baking sheet or cover it with wax paper. Remove the puff pastry from the box and lay flat in a working surface. Cut the pastry into squares measuring 8" across. To get two squares out of a 13" packaged sheet, you may have to cut out one square and then combine the two resulting rectangles. Place one fourth of the cooled onions into each rectangle and spread, stopping about 1" from the borders. Top with the tomato slices, the anchovy strips& the olives. Fold up the borders. Bake until golden, about 20-30 minutes. Fresh Tomato Tart From the Junior League Celebration Cookbook 6 servings 1 pie crust, baked 3 large ripe tomatoes seasoned salt & freshly ground pepper to taste 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried 1/2 c. mayonnaise 1/2 c. grated/shaved Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 c. cracker crumbs Slice the tomatoes & place in layers in the tart shell. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt, pepper & basil. Combine the mayonnaise, Parmesan & garlic powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Tomato Pie From the California Heritage Cookbook, Junior League of Pasadena 6-8 servings 1 9-inch pie shell, baked 2-3 medium tomatoes, peeled, cored &thickly sliced 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/4 c chopped fresh chives or green onions 1/4 c mayonnaise 1 c shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (4 oz) Line the pie crust with the tomatoes, covering the bottom completely. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, basil & chives. In a small mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise & cheese. Spread the mixture evenly over the tomato slices, making sue to seal the edges of the pie crust completely. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve at once while hot & bubbling. Note: May also be prepared using 6 tart shells about 2 inches in diameter. Divide ingredients among the shells & bake at 400 degrees for 2-25 minutes

It's a beautiful pie. Did you dry-render or wet-render your lard? Dry-rendering gives you toasty bits but you may not like the flavor in a pastry crust. Wet-rendering (with water) gives you a pure white lard with much less "meatiness" in the flavor. Carol