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Cherry Maple Jam

Source of Recipe

From "It Starts with Fruit" by Jordan Champagne


Recipe Introduction

"Bing cherries are one of my favorite fruits on the planet. They are also very expensive, and it takes a lot of effort to remove all of the pits, so I add equal parts strawberries to this jam; they take on a subtle supporting role that adds more body to the jam and lets the cherry flavor really shine through. I have made cherry jam with just cherries, but since the fruit is so dense, it is more like cherry fruit suspended in juice. The maple sugar in this jam makes it completely decadent and puts this jam over the top."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 pounds strawberries
â—¦ 2 pounds Bing cherries
â—¦ ½ cup lemon juice
â—¦ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
â—¦ 1 pound dry, granulated maple sugar


Recipe

• Day 1:

Wash the strawberries and dry them thoroughly so that you do not add any water to the jam. Remove the stems from the fruit with your hands; it is alright to leave the calyx on the fruit, as it will cook down into the jam. Slice the berries into quarters if they are large. Remove the pits and stems from the cherries. (I have invested in many styles of cherry pitters and found they all have a large margin of error and take time. I like to remove cherry pits with a paring knife or a small, handheld pitter so I can be sure every pit is removed.) Toss the strawberries and cherries together in a large bowl and drizzle the lemon juice and zest evenly over the fruit. Pour the sugar evenly over the top, cover, and let macerate at room temperature for 12 to 48 hours.

• Day 2:

Place five plates in the freezer so they are ready for your gel test at the end. Prepare eight 4-ounce jars for storing the finished jam. Put the contents in a nonreactive pot large enough so that it is no more than one-third full and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring when needed to avoid scorching, until the desired gel set is reached. The jam can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes to reach a medium jam consistency. Start your first gel test about 10 minutes after you begin cooking.

Once the jam reaches your desired consistency, remove it from the heat and fill the jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace at the top. Wipe the rims, apply the lids, and process in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Jars will keep for up to one year.

Makes eight (4-ounce) jars