Making jam at home is an ancient art that brings with it the fragrance of tradition and the authentic taste of freshly picked fruit. Nothing can compete with the satisfaction of opening a jar of homemade jam and smelling its inviting aroma filling the kitchen. Today I will reveal to you through a few simple steps how to prepare cherry jam using only natural ingredients, in this case cherries and sugar without the use of pectin, but simply replacing it with apple, which will give it the right consistency, and lemon to balance the taste. You can enjoy cherry jam not only at breakfast by spreading it generously on a slice of bread, a toast, or simply use it to fill cakes, pies, pastries, and shortbread cookies, adding a fruity touch to your favorite desserts.
If you want to make other jams or if you like cherries, also check out
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Slow Cook, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Spring, Summer
- Energy 685.33 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 176.42 (g) of which sugars 176.42 (g)
- Proteins 2.77 (g)
- Fat 0.33 (g) of which saturated 0.00 (g)of which unsaturated 0.00 (g)
- Fibers 4.65 (g)
- Sodium 11.67 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.6 lbs cherries
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 lemon
Instructions
To prepare cherry jam, follow these steps. Here’s what you need to do
Start by washing the cherries under running water. Then remove the stems and pit the cherries. You can use a pitter (like the one for olives) or do it manually by cutting the cherries in half and place the pitted cherries in a large bowl.
This step will allow the cherries to release their precious juice.
In the bowl with cherries, add the sugar and lemon juice.
Remember to mix well and let everything macerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
After maceration, pour the mixture into a large pot (I used the Moulinex Cuisine Companion and set the Slow Cook program). Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and continue cooking over low heat, stirring often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. If you prefer a smoother consistency (without large pieces), pass it through a food mill or use an immersion blender like in the image below. Continue cooking for about 55-60 minutes, or until the jam has thickened. To check the consistency, you can do the “drop test on a plate”: place a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate (kept in the freezer for a few minutes), wait a minute, and then tilt the plate. If the jam slides slowly and forms a slight fold, it is ready. Otherwise, continue cooking and repeat the test after a few minutes.
While the jam is cooking, sterilize the glass jars and lids by boiling them in water for at least 15 minutes. Dry them upside down on a plate.
Pour the very hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of space from the rim.
Clean the rims of the jars, close with the lids, and turn them upside down to create a vacuum seal. Let them cool completely. Once cooled, check that the jars are vacuum sealed (the lid should not click when pressed).
Enjoy your preparation and bon appétit with your delicious homemade cherry jam!
Storage
Store the jars in a cool, dark place. The jam lasts for about a year.
Store the jars in a cool, dark place. The jam lasts for about a year.
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Tips and Notes
Prefer ripe and sweet cherries, like duroni or maraschino cherries, for a better result.
You can reduce the amount of sugar to 1 3/4 cups if you prefer less sweet jam, but keep in mind that sugar also helps preserve the jam.
Cherries are not particularly rich in pectin. If you want a thicker jam, you can add an apple (peeled and cut into pieces) during cooking
