Cherry Jam
You can easily make your own homemade cherry jam in less than one hour. Start to finish! Once you make your own, it will be hard to go back to store bought! Fair warning!
Servings 32 tablespoons
Calories 14kcal
Cost $10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ c prepared fruit
- ⅓ c water
- 1 ½ tbsp Bottled Lemon Juice
- 1 ½ Tbsp Low Sugar Pectin
- ½ c up to 1/2 c. sugar You can use 0 to 1/2 cup, of added sugar.
Instructions
- Prepare jars. Wash in hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly. There's no need to sterilize the jars since the processing time is ten minutes. Fill the canning pot and get it started heating. Add the jars to the pot so they are warm.
- Place washed lids in a small saucepan and cover with boiling water. Let sit until ready to use. I also add my ladle and funnel to this pot to sterilize them. Add to 8 qt. sauce pan. Add water.
- Measure sugar and pectin. Add a few tablespoons of the measured sugar to the pectin.
- Pit the cherries. Bring the cherries and lemon juice to a boil, and add the pectin/ sugar mixture. Again, bring to a full boil (one that can’t be stirred down).
- Add the rest of sugar all at once. Bring to a full boil and boil for 1 full minute.
- Fill jars with hot jam. Remove air bubbles with a bubble tool or chopstick.
- Wipe the rim of jars clean with a wet paper towel and place the lid on. Add the band and tighten to fingertip tight.
- Place filled jars into canning pot and bring to boil. Low boil for 10 minutes.
- Turn off heat and allow to sit in water for 5 minutes.
- Leave undisturbed on a counter for 24 hours,
- Check lids by pushing down in center. If lids flex up and down, the jar is not sealed and should be refrigerated.
- Jars that have sealed should be stored in a cool place for a year. (If it lasts that long!)
- This recipe makes 2 half-pint jars of jam.
Video
Notes
Recipe adapted from Ball Recipes
See post for additional information regarding preparing cherries and preparing canning supplies.
Makes 2 half pints.
Recipe can be multiplied, but don't do more than 5 times the recipe. The jam has a tendency not to set properly.
Test lids for seal. Press center of lid down in the middle. If it flexes up or down, jar is not sealed.
If lids have not sealed, store those jars in refrigerator and consume those jars first.
Store in a cool place.
Use up to 1/2 cup sugar. I usually use over 1/4 cup but under 1/2 cup of sugar.
To test your jam to see if it will set, place a small plate or saucer in the freezer. Spoon about a teaspoon of jam onto frozen plate. Place it in the fridge and check it after a few minutes. If it has set, you can go ahead and can it.
If it hasn't set yet, bring it back to a full rolling boil and boil for another full minute. Then test the jam again.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 14kcal | Potassium: 10mg | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg