Sweet Cherry Jam With Spices And Red Wine Recipes

SWEET CHERRY JAM WITH SPICES AND RED WINE

Steps:

• Inspect 6 half-pint jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Pit and finely chop cherries; measure out 3 1/2 cups. Combine cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Place cinnamon and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie together to make a spice bag. Add to the pot with the cherries, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
• Add the cherries with all the liquid, spice bag, and the pectin in a large heavy saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil. Stir in red wine. Slowly return mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat. Boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam with a ladle or a large spoon.
• Remove pot from the heat. Remove and discard the spice bag. Ladle cherry jam immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any spills. Top with lids and tightly screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart. Let rest for 24 hours without moving the jars. Gently press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.

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.

SPICED CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place the cherries in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Sprinkle with pectin over the cherries followed by the star anise, nutmeg, lemon juice and vinegar.
• Once the cherries start to release their liquid in the bottom of pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and boil gently for five minutes occasionally mashing mixture.
• Mash in sugar, add the water, and return to a boil until the mixture reaches gel point. The frozen plate method works well for testing doneness.
• Process the jam using the hot water method for 10 minutes, or refrigerate and enjoy over the next week or so.

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.

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.

SWEET CHERRY JAM WITH SPICES AND RED WINE

Steps:

• Inspect 6 half-pint jars for cracks and rings for rust, discarding any defective ones. Immerse in simmering water until jam is ready. Wash new, unused lids and rings in warm soapy water.
• Pit and finely chop cherries; measure out 3 1/2 cups. Combine cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Place cinnamon and cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth and tie together to make a spice bag. Add to the pot with the cherries, and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours.
• Add the cherries with all the liquid, spice bag, and the pectin in a large heavy saucepan. Slowly bring it to a boil. Stir in red wine. Slowly return mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat. Boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim off any foam with a ladle or a large spoon.
• Remove pot from the heat. Remove and discard the spice bag. Ladle cherry jam immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a clean knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars to remove any air bubbles. Wipe rims with a moist paper towel to remove any spills. Top with lids and tightly screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars 2 inches apart into the boiling water using a holder. Pour in more boiling water to cover jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, cover, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart. Let rest for 24 hours without moving the jars. Gently press the center of each lid with a finger to ensure the lid does not move up or down. Remove the rings for storage and store in a cool, dark area.