Certo Sour Cherry Jam Recipes

CHERRY JAM RECIPE WITHOUT PECTIN AND LOW SUGAR

Steps:

• Wash, remove stems, and pit cherries. A cherry pitter is highly advised
• Roughly chop up cherries. Place chopped cherries in a large stock pot. Add 1/2 cup water to cherries. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You'll see the cherries begin to break down and thicken.
• Stir in sugar and lemon juice, mixing well. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Sugar will scorch quickly if not kept moving. Boil, uncovered, till thick, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into hot sterilized jars.
• Note: It's set when it sticks to the back of a metal spoon. This is called sheeting. Look at the jam dripping off the edge of the spoon. It should look like a "sheet" of jam, not a bunch of individual drops. Cherry jam is not meant to be extremely thick. It's a thinner jam, excellent on pancakes, waffles, toast, etc.
• Wipe rims with a damp towel, put on lids and bands. Submerge in hot water bath and process for 15 minutes *increase processing time for high altitude (see note section). Take off of heat and let sit for 5 minutes before moving to a folded towel. Let sit for at least 12 hours before checking seals on jars. Then store in a cool dark place for up to a year. If any jars didn't set, store in fridge.
• Make 2 pints or 4 eight ounce jelly jars.

CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• TO MAKE JUICE:
• Select fully ripe cherries.
• Softly wash. Remove stems. Do not pit!
• In large pot, crush cherries (I use a potato masher.).
• Add 1 cup water to crushed cherries.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain juice through a jelly bag or cheesecloth. (I use a fine mesh "sifter" lined with a coffee filter.).
• Toss pits, pulp, and peels.
• TO MAKE JELLY:
• Measure 3 1/2 cups juice into large pot.
• Add pectin and stir.
• Place on high heat and stir constantly.
• Bring to a full rolling boil (that can't be stirred down).
• Add sugar, continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil once more.
• Boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Skim off foam.
• Ladle into hot jelly jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Apply lids and rings.
• Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
• Note: I used 1 gallon of cherries and had a little more than 3 1/2 cups juice. Of course, it also depends on the quality of the fruit.

BC CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place cherries, apple juice, lemon juice, and pectin into a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, and mix in the sugar. Cook the jam at a rolling boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the cherry jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes, or the time as recommended by your county Extension agent.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

OVER-THE-TOP CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, cover and process cherries in batches until finely chopped. Transfer to a Dutch oven; stir in pectin and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into 6 hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

SOUR CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Pit fresh 3 lbs sour cherries. If working with pitted fruit, the total weight should be about 2 1/2 lbs pitted, or roughly 5 cups pitted fruit.
• Place the fruit in a heavy-bottomed jam pot along with lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cook the cherry mixture, stirring continuously to avoid boil-overs, for about 20 minutes until the fruit has completely fallen apart.
• Add sugar. (If adding pectin, now is the time, see notes).
• Continue cooking the jam until it reaches gel stage, about 25 to 30 more minutes.
• Test for gel stage on a plate that's been placed in the freezer, or with an instant-read thermometer (220 degrees F at sea level).
• Turn off heat and ladle jam into prepared jars. De-bubble, wipe rims and adjust headspace to 1/4 inch. Store in the refrigerator for immediate use (within 1 month), or process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for a shelf-stable jam.

CERTO SOUR CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Stem and pit cherries. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.
• Stir sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• 1. First chop your cherries up in a food processor or by hand. I coarsely chopped mine.
• 2. Combine cherries, sugar and lemon juice (if needed) in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stire in liquid pectin.
• 3. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if neccessary. (I did have to do this.) Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps.
• 4. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Then remove and place on counter to cool. Let sit overnight and the check lids again; tighten if necessary and label your jars.

SOUR CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Wash, stem, and pit cherries.
• Chop them small pieces.
• Put fruit and sugar in a large saucepan.
• Boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin.
• Skin 5 minutes.Add almond extract,.
• Put in jars and seal with hot lids.
• I sometime do a 5 minute hot bath, but not everytime.

CERTO SOUR CHERRY FREEZER JAM

Steps:

• Rinse clean plastic containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.
• Remove and discard stems and pits from cherries. Finely chop or grind cherries. Measure exactly 1-3/4 cups prepared fruit into large bowl. Gradually add sugar, stirring until well blended. Let stand 10 min., stirring occasionally.
• Mix pectin and lemon juice in small bowl. Add to prepared fruit mixture in large bowl; stir 3 min. or until most of the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)
• Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze extra containers up to 1 year. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator.