“Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam”

Dreading the end of Summer? I am because it seems like Summer just got started. When I think there are only four months left in 2018, it’s kind of sad so why not keep Summer alive all year long? Do this by home canning some of your favorite foods. Take advantage of the last of your local fruits available. Sit down and think of what you really love. Love buttered toast or a bagel in the morning? Then try your hand at making Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam. Your kid’s will love you and their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches even more with this sweet spreadable treat.

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

Home Canning allows you and your family to enjoy jams made from fresh picked fruits by preserving them in jars throughout the winter months or until the season rolls around again. Homemade jam tastes nothing like what is in your local market. Pure fruit flavor is allowed to shine through with no artificial flavors. If you’ve never attempted to make your own jams and jellies, you need to get on the bandwagon. Already preserve jams and jellies then you know what I’m talking about. Water bath canning makes canning oh so simple.

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

Making homemade jams and jellies is really simple. While the process does take some time, don’t be intimidated by all the equipment and ingredients you need. Buying fruit will feel expensive along with jars, a large stock pot, and other ingredients. Yet don’t let this scare you. Because once you have purchased all the basics, only ingredients of choice will be needed. Next comes purchasing the most important ingredient, fresh fruit. Make sure fruit is ripe but not over-ripe and tastes good before beginning the process of home canning. You cannot make good product out of bad ingredients. In this recipe which is my go-to, I have used both dark and sour cherries.

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

 I grew up with a Mom who canned many of our vegetables, pickles, jams, jellies, relishes and sauces. Most of our grocery shopping consisted of buying staples like meats, poultry, and fish. As a result, I’m sharing my favorite jam, especially delicious on homemade biscuits. No better topping in the world. The recipe is so easy to follow and your cherry jam will be the well deserved fruit of your labor, literally speaking. I think I learned from the best home canner, my Mom.

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

For optimal success, follow the directions for making jam as written. Do not vary ingredients, lessen the amount of sugar or add more fruit. Make sure to use the correct type and amount of pectin suggested in recipe. When making jams and jellies it is important to follow directions or your jam will not set correctly. More pectin can be added if jam is not thick enough. I made a batch of another fruit jam and had this issue yet found this website with easy instructions to fix any issues with jelling and setting. These instructions work like a charm. Also search the Ball website for the same information. I saved both links to these pages for easy access. Ball brand products have been around for many years and my trusted go-to home canning product.

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

Again, don’t be intimidated by the process of making your own homemade jams. I love using the jam to make sauces for cheesecakes and topping thumbprint cookies during the holidays. One taste and you’ll be glad you gave home canning a shot. Water bath canning is super easy and makes fast work of processing. I like to purchase 1/2-pint jars for jams and jellies so I have no waste. A pint jar tends to be too much and becomes sugar before it’s all eaten. You be the judge in your own household. Become a home canning enthusiast and have some fun thinking of Summer all year long.

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

 

Homemade Chopped Cherry Jam

4 cups chopped fresh dark or sour cherries

4 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 T. bottled lemon juice

6 T. Ball Real Fruit Classic Pectin

1/2 t. unsalted butter

Six – 1/2-pint jars with lids

 

Wash and dry jars and lids. Place jars on a clean baking sheet in a 300 degree oven and put lids in a saucepan filled with water to cover. Bring water to boil and turn heat to low to keep lids sterilized. Keep jars in oven until ready to fill.

Using a large sauce pot, add in exact measure of cherries, lemon juice, butter, and pectin. Butter helps decrease the foam when boiling.

Bring cherry mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat. This means once mixture is boiling, it cannot be stirred down. Stir constantly to prevent burning.

Add in sugar and bring back to full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove jam for heat and skim off any foam using a metal spoon.

Immediately ladle jam into prepared jars and clean around top of jars. Wipe lids dry and place one on each jar. Tighten lids but do not over tighten.

Place jars on a canning rack in a 16-quart stock pot. Fill pot with hot water, covering jars with one to two inches of water. Bring water to full rolling boil, cover with lid and reduce boil a bit.

Process jam for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove jars with a jar lifter to a cooling rack.

Let prepared jars seal and cool completely for 24 hours. Test seals and if there is any give in lids, refrigerate jam immediately. Jam will keep for 3 to 4 weeks.

Store sealed jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at up to one year.

 

Makes Six – 1/2-pint jars.

 

Note: If using Sure-Jell Pectin (Original), stir in one package to prepared fruit and increase sugar by 1/4 cup. Only use low or no-sugar pectin in recipes where this ingredient is specified.