Cherry Conserve Recipes

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.

BLACK CHERRY JAM - CONSERVE METHOD

Steps:

• Stone the cherries. This is best done with a cherry stoner. Make sure the stone is removed from each fruit.
• One third of the fruit - about two cups into quarters
• Put in a bowl cover with sugar add lemon juice. Stir. Cover and leave.
• Cook at a rolling boil until setting point of 105C and test by placing a teaspoon onto a frozen plate. If it sets, the jam is ready to be transferred to sterilized jars.

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.

SOUR CHERRY CONSERVE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat; cook until syrup has thickened slightly, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a container; let cool completely before placing in refrigerator.

CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Place a round wire rack in the bottom of a large stockpot. The rack should fit as snugly as possible and should stand 1/2 to 1 inch above the bottom of the pot. Stand the four jars on the rack, and add the lids; it's not necessary to add the screw bands. Fill pot with enough water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; an additional 1 to 2 inches of space should remain below the rim of the pot so the water doesn't overflow. Bring water to a simmer (180 degrees) let lids and jars simmer 10 minutes or until you're ready to fill them. Place four small plates in the freezer.
• In a medium stockpot, combine the cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice; place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in one-third of the remaining sugar, and cook, stirring, until it has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar in two more batches, stirring each batch until sugar has dissolved.
• Bring the mixture to a full boil, and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Place a candy thermometer in mixture, and cook, stirring frequently, until temperature registers 220 degrees. 30 to 40 minutes. While cooking, skim any foam that floats to the surface.
• With the temperature at 220 degrees, perform a gel test: Remove one of the plates from the freezer, and place a spoonful of the jam on it. Return the plate to freezer, and wait 1 minute. Remove plate from freezer, and gently nudge the edge of the jam with one finger. If the jam is ready, it will wrinkle slightly when pushed. If it is not ready, it will be too thin to wrinkle. If the jam does not wrinkle on the first attempt, cook 2 or 3 minutes more, and repeat the gel test.
• Once the jam has gelled properly, remove stockpot from heat. Using canning tongs, remove a jar from the simmering water, and empty the water back into the stockpot. Place the jar on a clean surface, and insert a canning funnel. Using a ladle, pour the jam through the funnel into the jar; fill to within 1/4 inch of the rim. Remove the funnel; wipe the rim with a clean damp towel. Using the tongs, lift a lid from the hot water; place lid, sealant side down, on the filled jar. Screw down the band, and tighten firmly, being careful not to force it. With the tongs, stand filled jar in simmering water. Repeat with the remaining jam and jars, making sure jars aren't touching sides of pot and are spaced 1 inch apart.
• Raise the heat to high, cover stockpot, and bring water to a boil. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer jars to a wire rack to cool completely. Store jam in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.

BEST CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Sterilize your jars and keep them hot while you're cooking the preserves.
• Place cherries in a large, heavy duty dutch oven.
• Combine pectin with 1/4 cup sugar; stir into cherries, Add butter.
• Bring to a full boil, stirring, over high heat.
• Add 3 more cups sugar and return to a boil , stirring constantly, boil 1 minutes.
• Remove from heat; skim off foam.
• Immediately spoon preserves into 3 one pint sterilized jars, leaving 1/4" headspace.
• Wipe the sealing surface of the jars with a clean paper towel, dampened with hot water, to remove any preserves or sugar crystals.
• Place lids and screw on bands fingertip tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for at least ten minutes, depending upon your altitude.
• When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lid; wait 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner using a jar lifter and keeping jars upright. Carefully place them directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack to protect your countertop, leaving at least one inch of space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft.
• After jars have cooled undisturbed for 24 hours, remove ring bands from sealed jars. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use first.

CELESTIAL CHERRY CONSERVE

Steps:

• Grate zest from the oranges; set zest aside. Peel oranges and discard peel; chop the oranges. In a large saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, lemon juice and chopped oranges. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until slightly thickened., Meanwhile, place tea bags in a small bowl. Add boiling water. Cover and steep 5-6 minutes. Discard tea bags; add liquid to cherry mixture. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly., Remove from the heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into six 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.

CHERRY & CINNAMON CONSERVE

Steps:

• Put a couple of saucers into the freezer. Roughly chop about a third of the cherries. Put into a large pan with the cinnamon stick, broken in half, the lemon zest and juice and 150ml water. Bring gently to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally, until cherries are softened.
• Add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then increase the heat and boil hard for 4-5 mins until the conserve is softly set. To test this, take a saucer from the freezer and spoon a little jam onto it. Push your finger through the jam; if it wrinkles on the surface it is ready. If not, reboil for a few mins more, then test again. Spoon into small clean warm jars, seal and label. Once open, keep in the fridge.

EASY CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Put two saucers in the freezer for testing the jam later on. Tip the cherries, sugar and lemon juice into a large, heavy-based saucepan and simmer uncovered over a medium-high heat for 35-50 mins, stirring frequently until thick and glossy.
• After 35 mins, spoon a little of the jam onto one of the chilled saucers. Leave for 1 min, press a fingertip into the jam. If it starts the wrinkle, it's ready. If it slides away, continue to boil the jam for 10 mins, then test again on the other saucer.
• Spoon the jam into sterilised jars and seal. Will keep for six months unopened (when stored in a dark, cool place), or opened in the fridge for three months.

BOURBON CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• First, make sure your jam jars, lids and rings are clean and sterilized. You can sterilize them in the dishwasher, or by boiling them for a few minutes in a large stock pot.
• Wash and pit the cherries, if they're not already pitted. Combine the pitted cherries in a stock pot with the lemon juice, vanilla and bourbon.
• Bring the cherries to a simmer over medium heat. Mash the cherries slightly, leaving the fruit as chunky as you'd like.
• Sprinkle the pectin over the fruit and stir it in. Increase heat to medium/high and stir constantly (while wearing oven mitts to protect against splatter burns), and bring to a boil.
• Dump all the sugar in at once. Continue stirring constantly to return to a vigorous boil that can't be stirred down. Boil hard while stirring for 1 minute.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the butter (the fat helps to reduce any foaminess).
• Immediately ladle the jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving a 1/4 inch gap at the top (called "head space") to allow for expansion. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth. Center the lids on the jars, and screw on the lids "fingertip tight".
• Jam stored in the refrigerator should be consumed within 1-2 months.

HOMEMADE CHERRY PRESERVES RECIPE

Steps:

• Add all of the ingredients to a large, nonstick pot over medium heat. Once up to a gentle simmer, keep it there, reducing the heat as necessary. Cook the preserves, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the volume has reduced by about half, about 45 minutes. Spoon into a mason jar or other container, let cool, and refrigerate up to 3 weeks.