Sour Cherry Jam

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. stemmed and pitted sour cherries, about 9 cups

• 3 to 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1 dried orange peel

1. Place a small bowl or plate and spoon in the freezer to chill. You will use this to test that the jam has jelled enough.

2. Place cherries in a heavy-bottomed pan; add dried orange peel. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove orange peel and discard.

3. Add sugar and lemon juice. Cook for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Remove any foam that floats to the top as mixture cooks.

5. As mixture thickens, keep a close watch to ensure it does not burn. Keep stirring more frequently.

6. To test that jam has jelled, put a small amount of jam in the chilled bowl or plate. Return to the freezer for 2 to 3 minutes to allow jam to cool. Use the chilled spoon to draw a line in the jam. If a clear space remains, the jam is set sufficiently. If not, boil for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Once jam is ready, fill in clean glass jars and cover with lids and bands. To seal, place jars in a large pot and cover with water 1 to 2 inches above jars. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.

8. Using tongs, remove jars and allow to cool. Twelve to 24 hours after cooling, unscrew bands (do not remove lid!) and wipe clean of any water, re-screw bands on jars.

9. Date and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

Yields: about 3 to 4 8-ounce jars

Notes&Tips:

• Sour cherries are small and bright red. The season for sour cherries is very short - end of June to the 2nd week of July. Once the cherries are harvested they need to be used as they go bad very quickly.

• I prefer jams over jellies as they are thicker and you get to taste the fruit more. I also enjoy having bits of whole fruit in my preserves, so I do not mash all the fruit into a pulp but leave them in chunks or even whole.

• To learn more about how to preserve jams and jellies visit this web site: https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/uga/uga_jams_jellies.pdf

• You do not need to put in a water bath if you are not going to have for a long time. Preserves can be kept in the fridge or the freezer. To read more on this, go to this website: https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_07/storing_jams.html#:~:text=A%3A%20Opened%20home%2Dcanned%20jams,in%20the%20refrigerator%20after%20opening.