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Sour Cherry Jam

Source of Recipe

From "Food in Jars" by Marisa McClellan


Recipe Introduction

"I believe that sour cherry jam was the original inspiration for those little rolls of Sweet Tarts we all ate as kids. Also known as tart or pie cherries, sour cherries are bright, tangy (but not sour exactly, just perfectly piquant) and, when combined with a bit of sugar and cooked into jam (or baked in a pie), they walk the line between pleasantly sweet and achingly puckery. They are hard to find commercially, but tend to make appearances at farmers' markets in June or July. Keep your eyes peeled and when you find them, make this jam."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 cups pitted and mashed sour cherries (about 3 pounds whole cherries)
â—¦ 3 cups granulated sugar
â—¦ 1 (3-ounce) packet liquid pectin


Recipe

Prepare a boiling water bath and four regular-mouth 1-pint jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

Combine the cherries and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and let it bubble for a good 20 minutes, occasionally skimming the foam from the surface of the fruit as it develops. Add the pectin and boil for another 5 minutes. You want to to cook it until the bubbles are thick and look like molten lava.

Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes three 1-pint jars



• Note:
I love the taste of sour cherries, so I don't add a drop of extra flavor to this jam. However, you might like to spice things up with ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla, or orange zest or juice (or anything else).