Cherry Jam

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Sweet, juicy cherries cooked down into a rich homemade jam make it easy to enjoy summer all year long. Water bath can a batch to stock your pantry, then spread it on toast, biscuits, or swirl it into yogurt for a burst of fresh cherry flavor!

Have I mentioned my love for cherries?  I think that they are probably my favorite fruit of all time.  The deep, rich red color, whimsical stem, and juicy goodness make it number one on my list. 

Unfortunately the only time of year I can afford these ruby red jewels is in the summer.  So I make the most of it while I can and eat them by the bagful, bake with them, and make lots of beverages with them. 

One of my favorite cherry recipes are Cherry Crumble Bars made with sweet cherries. I also love making Fresh Cherry Scones for breakfast or dessert. When I can get sour cherries I enjoy Sour Cherry Coffee Cake. For a hot weather sipper my Cherry Mojitos can’t be beat. Anytime I’m invited to a party and have fresh cherries you can bet I’m making Cherry Rhubarb Pie with crumble topping.

This year I finally decided to make them cherry jam that I can enjoy year round. I’ve been using a boiling water canner for years now and it’s an easy way to can fruits and jams.

What is Water Bath Canning?

Water bath canning is a simple method of preserving high acids foods by sealing them in jars and processing them in boiling water. The boiling water destroys mold and many bacteria while creating a vacuum seal that keeps the food shelf stable.

Before you attempt to make this jam make sure you have several hours set aside and make sure you have the right equipment.  It’s not that making the jam takes a long time, it’s the stemming and seeding of the cherries that took forever. However, if you have a cherry pitter this goes a whole lot quicker.

What equipment do I need to can fruit butters and jams?

There are a few main tools you need in order to can fruit butters and jams.  The first, and most important, is a large stock pot with a lid.  This will be your boiling water canner and it needs to be deep enough that pint and quart jars can be totally submerged in water.  Other things you might need include:

• Long tongs with vinyl coated handles
• Vinyl coated jar lifter
• Magnetic lid lifter
• Extra wide mouth funnel
• Vinyl coated jar wrench
• Bubble popper/measurer

While you can buy these items separately, you can also buy them as a canning set for under $20.  You can even buy a boiling water canning set that includes the canner, jars, and all of the above mentioned tools.

I was skeptical as to how the jam would form because the amount of liquid in the jam in minimal.  I had difficulty getting the sugar to dissolve before adding in the liquid pectin and so I ended up adding in one pouch of liquid pectin before the sugar finally dissolved.  After that the jam behaved for the most part.

Ingredients:

Cherry Jam (from Ball’s Blue Book Guide to Preserving)
1 qt. cherries, pitted and chopped
6 c. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
2 pouches Ball Liquid Pectin

1.  Combine the cherries, sugar, and lemon juice is a large saucepan.  Stir until sugar begins to dissolve.

2.  Add in one pouch of liquid pectin and bring to a boil.  All of the sugar should be dissolved by this point.

3.  Stir in the remaining pouch of liquid pectin and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

4.  Remove from heat and skim off the foam.  Ladle the jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.  Remove any air bubbles from the jars and readjust the headspace.

5.   Put on the 2 piece lid and screw to finger tip tight.  Heat in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove from the water and let cool for 12 hours then check to make sure the lids have sealed. Store for up to 1 year.

**Makes 7 half pints of jam.