Recipe Archives->Preserving->Cherry Pie Jam

Cherry Pie Jam

Use Cherry Pie cherries. These are generally a bright red cherry
that is very tart. It is usually easier to find these because birds
do not like them as well.

Wash and sort the fruit and then put it into a blender. I prefer
a blender that has a pulse setting. I pop it once or twice and it
removed the flesh from the pit.  Don't run the blend for very long
because you do not want to start breaking or grinding the pits.

Start with about 10 cups of munched cherries (pits included).  Put
it on the stove and start heating. If you are impatient you can
start removing the pits while you stir with a slotted spoon.  As
it heats I had about 3 to 4 cups of sugar.  Keep adding sugar until
the taste is right. I then add Sure-jel light pectin until it will
set up.  (I keep checking using the rubbing alcohol method - it's
probably in the FAQs).

Here is the big secret....Just before canning I put in 1 tablespoon
of vanilla for each 3 cups of jam. For a normal batch about 4
tablespoons. This really mellows out the flavor and gives it that
cherry pie taste. Don't worry if the vanilla seems to be a little
strong-- the taste fades a bit when the jam cools. Quickly run the
jam through a Foley food mill to remove the pits and can. BWB for
10 minutes. This has a beautiful cherry red color and goes great
in sandwiches and on top of ice cream.

Printable version: cherry-pie-jam.txt.