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Sweet Cherry Jelly

Source of Recipe

From "Ball Canning Back to Basics"


Recipe Introduction

"Bing cherries are the most common sweet cherries. Look for firm, glossy fruit with stems still attached. The deeper the color, the richer the flavor."

List of Ingredients

◦ 3 pounds dark sweet cherries, stemmed, pitted, and finely chopped
◦ ⅓ cup water
◦ 2 tablespoons lemon juice
◦ Cheesecloth
◦ 4 tablespoons Ball Classic Pectin
◦ 3 ⅓ cups sugar


Recipe

Bring the cherries, water, and the lemon juice to a boil in a 6-quart stainless-steel or enameled Dutch oven. Cover; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Pour the cherry mixture through a mesh strainer lined with three layers of dampened cheesecloth into a bowl. Let drain 2 to 4 hours or until the juice measures 3 cups. (To avoid cloudy jelly, do not press or squeeze the cherry mixture.)

Combine the cherry juice and the pectin in a 6-quart stainless-steel or enameled Dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high, stirring constantly. Add the sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim the foam, if necessary.

Ladle the hot jelly into a hot jar, leaving �-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled. Process the jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.

Makes about 4 (�-pint) jars






❧ Change It Up:
Add a pinch or two of dried chipotle chile pepper to add some smoky heat to the sweet cherry flavor.