Cherry Freezer Jam
It's cherry season!!! We were headed home from a little family getaway up north and picked up these lovely cherries from a roadside family market. We missed strawberry picking this year, so we made up for it by stocking our freezer with lots of delicious cherry jam instead. Cherries remind me of Door County and Door County owns a special piece of my heart. There is a certain magic about it that can't quite be explained. So for now I will smother my toast with a little spoonful of heaven and dream of my happy place.
Ingredients
- 4 c. sour cherries that have been prepared (rinsed, pits removed, pulsed very fine in food processor)
- 8 c. organic cane sugar
- Two 1.75 oz. boxes premium fruit pectin (such as SURE-JELL)
- 1 ½ c. water
- Ten 8 oz. freezer-safe glass jelly jars (with lids and seals), washed and dried
Instructions
- Mix cherries and sugar in a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes. This will seem like a lot of sugar, but it is required in order for the jam to set properly. Trust the process, do not reduce the amount of sugar;)
- Combine fruit pectin and water in a small saucepan. Stir constantly over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute while continuing to stir.
- Add pectin mixture to cherry/sugar mixture and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Pour mixture into jars immediately, leaving about ½ inch space at the top. Wipe any jam from rim and jar with damp paper towel. Cover with seals/lids and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours to set.
- Keep what you would like for immediate use in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. The remaining jam can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. When you're ready to enjoy a jar, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Notes
- Must use sour cherries (do not substitute with sweet).
- There are pit removers that you can buy, but I find it easiest and most efficient to pop them out by hand.
- My favorite way to enjoy homemade jam is on toast with salted butter. Can also be used on ice cream, in a crêpe, on anything!!!
