Sour Cherry Jam
A small-batch sour cherry jam made the old-fashioned way, with no added pectin. Tart cherries, sugar, and a little lemon cook down into a deep, full flavored preserve.
Servings: 16 servings, 2 half pint jars
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids, and Rings
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sour cherries
- 1 medium lemon juiced
- 2 cups sugar see note
Instructions
- Pit the sour cherries, removing all the pits.
- Add the pitted cherries and lemon juice to a heavy-bottomed jam pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Use a deeper pot than seems necessary, since this jam foams and boils over easily.
- Cook the cherries, stirring often to prevent boil-overs, until the fruit has completely fallen apart, about 20 minutes.
- Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. (If using pectin instead, this is the point to add it. See notes.)
- Keep cooking the jam until it reaches gel stage, testing as you go rather than watching the clock. The time varies by stove, but it usually takes another 25 to 30 minutes.
- Test for gel stage with a plate chilled in the freezer (the jam should wrinkle and hold when pushed) or with an instant-read thermometer (about 220°F at sea level, lower at higher elevations). Pull the pot off the heat the moment it gels, since the jam keeps thickening the longer it cooks.
- Ladle the hot jam into prepared jars. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, and adjust the headspace to 1/4 inch. Cap with two-part lids.
- For refrigerator jam, cool and store in the fridge for up to 1 month. To can, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then rest the jars in the canner for 5 minutes before lifting them out to cool (see altitude adjustments below). Check the seals before storing.
Notes
Fruit Amounts: This recipe starts with 3 lbs whole cherries, which is 2 1/2 lbs pitted, or 5 cups pitted. The juice of 1 lemon is about 2 Tbsp.
Yield: This recipe makes about 2 half-pint jars. Sour cherries cook down a lot, so the finished batch looks small next to the fruit you start with. That concentration is what gives the jam its deep cherry flavor. If you want a sweeter jam and a higher yield, use up to 3 cups sugar.
Cook to the gel, not the clock: The cook times are a guideline only. No-pectin jam keeps thickening the longer it boils, so test with a frozen plate or thermometer (about 220°F at sea level, dropping 1 degree per 500 feet of elevation) and stop the moment it gels. Overcooking is the top cause of jam that turns out too thick or hard.
Altitude Adjustment: Process for 10 minutes at elevations below 6,000 feet, or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet.
Doubling: Don't double this recipe. Larger batches don't heat evenly and often fail to set or scorch. Make two single batches back to back instead.
Sugar Amounts: Most sour cherry jam uses 2 to 3 cups of sugar per batch. Two cups gives the most concentrated cherry flavor with a lower yield. Three cups gives a sweeter, higher-yield jam with milder flavor.
A note on lemon juice: The lemon brightens the flavor and adds a little pectin to help the jam gel. Sour cherries are already high in acid, so the lemon isn't needed for safe canning, just for flavor and set.
With Pectin: I don't use pectin, but if you prefer it: cook the cherries 15 to 20 minutes without sugar, add the pectin and return to a boil for 1 minute, then add the sugar and boil 1 minute more. Ladle into jars with no further cooking. For Sure-Jell, use one packet (1.75 oz), increase lemon to 1/4 cup, and increase sugar to 4 cups. With low-sugar or no-sugar pectin, keep the sugar and lemon as written. Liquid pectin works differently and isn't recommended here.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Tbsp | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.4mg
