Lost My Cherry? (Cherry Lemon Jam for beginners like me.)
Today I finally got to dive into my cherries I've been saving.
I've been dreaming about this moment ever since I picked up the book
She has marvellous recipes & canning ideas. The book is a traditionalist take on modern preserves, right down to not using pectin. I have read it at least 3 times & drooled over some of the things she has made. I however enjoy using pectin & highly advise the low sugar / no sugar alternatives you can get in the stores. So most of my recipes will be altered to reflect this fact. I use the brands below as they are what's available in my area, but there are many, many sources out there. You also can just cut up some apples & stick them in a jelly bag to get your pectin. It's your choice really.
If you are reading this blog chances are you are a beginner just like me. So this is my first walk through on how to make jam, & my first time making my version of cherry jam based on the recipe from the canning book above.
You need:
10 cups of pitted cherries (wash them first to remove pesticides & dirt)
1.5 cups of sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
Grated lemon zest if you want it (I don't use it personally)
1. Prepare your jars by sterilizing them in a hot water bath. I use a big enamelled canning pot specifically for this purpose, but a big old stock pot works just as well. Do not let the jars sit on the bottom directly on the heat. They can crack. Get a metal jar holder for inside the pot or keep some old tuna cans & put them on the bottom of the pot to keep the jars off the direct heat.
2. Put one cup of sugar in a measuring cup & the .5 cup of sugar in a small bowl. Mix the pectin in with the sugar in the bowl & set aside. This bowl gets added in later in the recipe. As well you should put a metal spoon in your freezer at this point.
3. Put the cherries & sugar in a wide 8 quart preserving pan. (I used my giant fry pan - it did the trick nicely.) Bring the cherries to a simmer over medium high heat & stir gently to not break your cherries. Cook until the juices are deep enough to cover the cherries. My stove top is electric & thus slower than gas...it took 10 minutes to get to this point.
4. Once the cherries have let their juices go the pour them into a colander over a large bowl & let the juice drain. Return the juice to the fry pan & boil over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. You will notice that you will get foam which you should try to skim off the top if you can. (I never seem to get it all) At this point you should prep your canning lids in a bowl with boiling water so they are ready to go when you jar everything.
5. Once the syrup is thick & reduced ( like runny maple syrup) you can return your cherries to the fry pan. Any juice that has dropped into the bowl from the colander should go in as well as the lemon juice. Bring to a simmer & stir frequently for roughly 2 minutes. Add in your remaining sugar with your pectin in the bowl & stir frequently for about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Get out your metal spoon from the freezer & put a dab of the simmering jam into it & then return it to the freezer for 5 minutes. It should be thick & jam like. Not running off your spoon. If it is runny you may need to add a bit more pectin to your jam & try this again to see how well your gel is.
7. Remove your jam from the heat & prepare to start canning. Ladle jam into the jars & leave about 1 inch of room at the top of the jars. wipe any jam off the rim before putting on your lids & screwing on the bands. They should be fingertip tight. -Not get a screwdriver out to pry it off the jar tight.
8. Return the jars to your boiling water bath & boil for 5 to 7 minutes to process. When done put them in an area where they will not be disturbed for the next 10 hrs. Lids should make a POP noise when they seal. You know they have sealed when you can push your finger down in the middle of the lid & it doesn`t move. If it is moving, you need to put it in the fridge right away before it spoils. Otherwise go ahead & label them as you see fit.
Enjoy your jam!
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