Cherry Jam (without pectin)
Cherry Jam (without Pectin)
The cherry preserve has a very delicious taste and fruity aroma and lovely color that is so worth making this. The cherry preserve is essentially a cherry jam without pectin and can be used similarly.
Ingredients
- 500 gram fresh cherry pitted
- ¾ -1 cup granulated sugar start with less
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice skip skip if cherries are tart or sour
Instructions
- Take pitted cherries in the thick and wide-based pot. Add sugar and lemon juice. Mix well and let the cherries rest (mecerate) it in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Cook jam for 10 minutes on medium-low heat until soft.
- Then mash it. Keep 2 plates in the freezer to chill.
- Depending on how you intend to use the preserve you can mash or blend. You may do few whiz.
- When you see the preserve or jam has thickened, remove them from heat. Wait for a minute. Now make a line with the spatula to check the consistensy.
Cold Plate Test
- Transfer a little preserve to the cold plate and that will show you the consistency of the finished preserve. When it is thick and holds its shape, it is ready. If not continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
- Transfer hot preserve to clean dry jars leaving only ½ inch space empty from the lid. Also, wipe off the rim with a clean and damp towel and tap the jars to remove the air bubbles. Place the lids and turn the jars upside down.
Store
- Let the jam sit overnight before using. Store in the fridge or freeze.
- Or follow the canning procedure if doing 3X or 4X of this recipe. Process the jars in the hot water bath for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a clean dry towel. Check the seals after 12 hours and store unsealed jars in the fridge.
Notes
Cherries variety: I used a sweet variety of cherries. If using tart or sour cherries to make this jam, skip the lemon juice and you might need to add extra sugar to balance the sour taste.
Frozen: If using frozen cherries, just thaw them ahead of cooking.
Store jam in the fridge and consume within 1-2 months. Or freeze the jars for up to six months. You may follow canning steps if storing jam at room temperature for a year.
Pitting is time-consuming, you can prep a night ahead. Combine all ingredients in a pot and store them in the fridge. Then plan to cook the next day when you some work in the kitchen to reduce active cooking time.
If you consider making a 2x or 3x batch of the recipe, the cooking time will increase. Cook on lower heat to be safe and avoid caramelizing sugar.
Frozen: If using frozen cherries, just thaw them ahead of cooking.
Store jam in the fridge and consume within 1-2 months. Or freeze the jars for up to six months. You may follow canning steps if storing jam at room temperature for a year.
Pitting is time-consuming, you can prep a night ahead. Combine all ingredients in a pot and store them in the fridge. Then plan to cook the next day when you some work in the kitchen to reduce active cooking time.
If you consider making a 2x or 3x batch of the recipe, the cooking time will increase. Cook on lower heat to be safe and avoid caramelizing sugar.