Cherry Jam 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

HOMEMADE CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Remove pits from washed cherries. Chop all or half of them into small pieces, leave some whole if you'd like.
• Place cherries in a large, heavy bottomed pan. Add sugar on top and stir. Let them sit for 30 minutes to up to 3 hours.
• Turn the heat on and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium low. If the mixture is starting to foam, your can try to remove some of the foam with a spoon.
• Place a plate in the freezer. (Optional for testing the jam).
• Cook for 20 minutes, the cherries will become soft and darken in color. Add the vanilla, butter and lemon juice.
• It will thicken.
• Test the jam: Add a few drops of it to the cold plate. When you touch the cooled jam, it should wrinkle in your fingers, rather than stick or stay runny.
• Add the butter (optional).
• Let the jam cool for 10 minutes, before you pour it into clean jars.
• Don't overfill the jars. Close the lids.

SWEET CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.See full water bath canning instructions here.

CHERRY HABANERO JAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash cherries then stem and pit them into a large bowl, catching as much cherry juice as possible.
• Coarsely chop the pitted cherries and place them into your large canning pot.
• Add the lime juice to the pot of cherries and toss well.
• Dice the red pepper and place into the pot with the cherries.
• ** Put rubber gloves on and finely mince the habanero pepper. For a mild pepper jam remove all seeds and remove the pith. For a medium-hot jam leave the seeds in. For a hotter jam mince the entire habanero pepper with seeds and pith and place into the pot with the other ingredients.
• Add pectin to the pot and heat on low, occasionally stirring until the pectin melts.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a roiling bowl.
• Add sugar, stirring until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
• Return to a roiling boil.
• Add butter to cut down on foaming. (if using)
• Boil for one minute.
• Remove the pot from the stove.
• Skim off any excess foam.
• Fill your prepared jars leaving a 1/4 inch head space.
• Wipe rim of jar with a damp paper towel, place flat lid on top of jar and place band on screwing until just hand tightened.
• Process your filled jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

SWEET CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a pot, mix cherries, pectin, lemon juice and lemon zest.
• Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Add sugar, stir to combine.
• Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, skim foam.
• Ladle into hot sterilized 8 oz jars, leave 1/4" head space. Wipe rims and add lids.
• Process jars in water bath for your recomended altitude.

HOMEMADE CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Pit your cherries and chop into small chunks, add all the chopped cherries and any juice released from chopping into a large, wide pot.
• Add the lemon juice, vanilla bean and seeds, pectin, and ¼ cup of sugar to the cherries and stir to combine.
• Heat over high heat while stirring gently until it comes to a complete full boil that doesn't stop even while you stir.
• Add the remaining sugar and continue to stir gently until the jam returns to a full boil again that doesn't stop as you stir.
• Once it hits that full boil, time the jam for exactly 1 minute, continuing to stir. Then remove from heat.
• If not canning your jam, allow to cool slightly then place in storage jars or containers and allow to cool further then seal and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

CANNING CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place lids into the warmed mini slow cooker and prepare jars and canner.
• Sort and wash fully ripe cherries; remove any stems, leaves, and pits.
• Coarsely chop cherries into larger pieces, add to a non-reactive pot.
• Allow the cherries to come to boil, stirring the cherries often. Using a potato musher, press down on the cherries to extract their natural juices.
• Add pectin and stir well.
• On high heat stir the cherries continually, bring the cherry mixture to a hard boil.
• Stir in the sugar or sweetener of choice and return to a full bubbling boil. Allow the black cherry jam to hard boil for 2 minutes, making sure to stir constantly.
• Remove from heat and skim any foam which is present.
• Using a jar funnel and ladle, fill jars leaving a 1/4-inch headspace.
• Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean dishtowel dipped in water.
• Add warmed lids and rings to finger tight.
• Follow the instruction for processing jars in a steam or hot water bath canner using the processing time based on the altitude which you reside. See the chart for the correct processing time in the original post.