This homemade cherry jam recipe is a flavor that’s not commonly available in supermarkets. It captures the flavor of your favorite summertime fruit in a spread that might bring to mind rural farm stands. You’ll be happy to have this in your pantry!
This strawberry jam recipe is another favorite.
Homemade Cherry Jam
Fresh cherries typically begin showing up in markets in May, and are available through June or July, making them one of the first fruits of the season. Dive right in and make a batch of this easy jam made with just a handful of ingredients.
If you’ve never made jam before, fret not. It’s easy! You can follow the instructions here for canning the jam to make a shelf stable product, save it as freezer jam, or if you go through fruit spreads quickly at your house, simply put it directly in the fridge. (Unprocessed jam will last in the fridge for about a month.)
Canning the jam allows you to tuck it away to give as gifts during the holiday gift giving season. Future you is going to be so impressed with today you!
Pitting the Cherries
You’ll need to remove the single pit from each cherry, so there’s a little bit more prep work required for this recipe than some of my other jam recipes.
Take a Peek Inside My Book!
Get a free excerpt from my book, Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living! You’ll also get my free weekly newsletter, complete with recipes, gardening tips, and a little peek at what’s going on around here — both the zany and the mundane.
A cherry pitter is a specialized tool used for doing this job, but you don’t have to rush and and buy one. If you don’t have one, there are a couple of other ways to remove the pit. Remove the stems, and try one of these methods:
- Since you’ll be dicing the cherries up, they don’t need to be pretty, so you can simply use your hands to squeeze the cherry open and remove the pit.
- Place each cherry atop a narrow-necked bottle (like a wine bottle) with the stem end up. Use a chopstick to push through the stem end, forcing the pit out the other end and down into the bottle. See it here.
Ingredients
Cherries — This recipe calls for sweet cherries rather than sour cherries. Bing and Royal Ann are two varieties that are commonly available, but other sweet cherry varieties work just fine. Note that the color of the jam will vary based on the color of the cherries. Can you use frozen cherries? You certainly can.
Sugar — Use your favorite brand of granulated cane sugar. I prefer organic.
Lemon juice – Use bottled lemon juice to assure that the resulting pH for this recipe falls within safe canning guidelines.
Lemon zest – Adding lemon zest to the jam provides an extra burst of lemony flavor.
Pectin – This recipe is made using Pomona’s Universal Pectin. This is the only pectin I use anymore as it allows me to use much less sweetener. The standard pectin brands use an obscene amount of sugar in my opinion, often requiring equal amounts of sugar and fruit! This product uses a low methoxyl method and calls for using two different ingredients, which are included in the box: pectin (the large packet) and calcium powder (the small packet). The dry pectin is mixed with the sweetener before being added to the fruit. The calcium water is added directly to the fruit. This low sugar pectin works a little differently, but makes a delicious, fruit-forward jam.
The Handcrafted Pantry
Ready to DIY your pantry with more wholesome ingredients? Check out my ebook, The Handcrafted Pantry! Filled with delicious recipes for some of your favorite condiments, snacks, and toppings, it’s the guide you need to start skipping packaged products and embrace homemade.
How to Make Cherry Jam from Scratch
Start by measuring out the cherries. You’ll need about seven cups of fresh cherries to make enough diced fruit for this recipe. Pit and dice the fruit, then heat in a large saucepan along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and calcium water.
Combine the pectin with the sweetener, making sure it’s thoroughly combined.
When the cherry mixture is boiling, add the sugar mixture, stirring for a minute or two to assure that the pectin is well distributed. Return to a boil and it’s done!
🍅 Safety First!
Canning is an excellent way to preserve food for the pantry, but there are some important safety considerations to keep in mind. The recipes on this site have been made following safe canning procedures by a certified Master Food Preserver.
- Know the difference between water bath canning and pressure canning. Low acid items must be pressure canned for safety.
- Altering ingredients may change the recipe’s pH, posing a safety issue. I highly recommend investing in pH paper to test your products for acidity level when canning. Note: For safe water bath canning, the Hawaii Master Food Preservers suggest a pH of 4.2 or lower in the tropics. In other regions, the recommended pH is 4.6 or lower.
- Use the proper jars and lids. Never reuse lids, with the exception of the Tattler or Harvest Right hard plastic lids that are intended for such a purpose.
- For more on canning equipment, please go here.
- Want to learn more? The National Center for Home Food Preservation is the go-to resource for safe canning information.
Canning Jam
You’ll need special canning jars, lids, and rings (read more about canning equipment here) to make this homemade jam shelf-stable, but the process isn’t difficult.
Use quarter-pint or half pint jars for this recipe.
Once the jars are filled, you’ll process them in a water bath. What this means is you’ll put the filled and sealed jars of jam into boiling water and heat them for ten minutes. This assures that the jars will seal well.
You might be able to use a large pot, rather than a special water bath canner.
Place hot jars on a countertop lined with a kitchen towel and allow to cool fully. As they cool, you’ll hear the little “tink” sound of the jars sealing. Store any unsealed jars in the fridge and use those first. (This is unusual, but it does happen once in awhile.)
Remove the ring from each sealed jar, rinse to remove any jam residue, and store (without the ring) in a cool, dry place, such as the pantry.
Here’s a more detailed look at canning jam and jelly and a collection of even more jam recipes!
FAQs
Is cherry jam the same as cherry preserves?
The ingredients for preserves and jam can be similar, but the texture of the product is different. Preserves are typically much chunkier. Give this recipe for black cherry preserves with thyme and honey a try for a different spread.
Do you have to pit cherries before making jam?
Cherry pits are inedible. Leaving them in jam would require you to remove the pits before enjoying it on your toast. This is an interesting look at cherry pits and how they can actually be left in some recipes.
Easy (Lower Sugar) Cherry Jam Recipe
Making jam at home is easy and nets a delicious fruit spread. This cherry jam recipe is delicious on toast, as most jam recipes are, but try stirring it into ice cream for a delicious summertime treat!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cherries (pitted and diced)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice bottled
- 1-2 lemons zested
- 3 teaspoons calcium water (from Pomona's Pectin package)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons pectin (from Pomona's Pectin package)
Instructions
PREPARE FOR CANNING
- Prepare the calcium water: Combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (from the small packet in the box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small jar. Screw on a lit and shake until well-combined. You'll have more than you need for this recipe. Store the excess in the refrigerator for use in making additional jam or jelly recipes.
- Wash the jars you'll use, making sure each is clean and free of nicks in the rim, which could impede sealing.
- Wash the lids and rings in hot soapy water. (If you're using non-Ball brand lids, prepare as suggested by manufacturer.)
- Place empty jars in a canning pot or large stock pot with enough water to cover by an inch or two, cover pot, and set on high heat. It can take awhile for the water to heat, so get it started before you begin making the recipe.
MAKE THE CHERRY JAM
- Measure the diced cherries, lemon juice, lemon zest, and calcium water into a large saucepan; bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, combine the sugar with the pectin until it's thoroughly combined.
- When the cherry mixture comes to a boil, stir in the pectin and sweetener, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while bringing the jam back to a boil. Remove from heat when the jam boils.
CANNING THE JAM
- Remove the empty jars from the canner, draining the water back into the pot.
- Ladle hot jam into quarter-pint, half-pint, or pint sized jars, leaving 1/4" head space. A canning funnel makes this easy.
- Wipe jar rims to remove any jam that may have spilled. A clean rim is essential to a good seal.
- Set jar lids in place. Screw bands on finger tight.
- Use a jar lifter to gently submerge jars into hot water in the canning pot. Water should cover the top of the jars by an inch. The water will cool somewhat in reaction to the addition of the jars. Return the water to a simmer and then set the timer.
- Process for 10 minutes 0-1,000 feet altitude; add an additional minute for every additional 1,000 feet in elevation.
- Remove jars from water using the jar lifter and transfer to a solid, towel-covered surface. Allow to cool for 24 hours.
- Check seals. Lids should be solid and pulled down tight. (if they flex and pop, the jar didn’t seal; put unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use those first).
- Remove rings and wash outsides of jars. Store in a cool, dry place.
Notes
Use sweet cherries for this recipe.
This recipe is made using Pomona’s Universal Pectin. This is the only pectin I use anymore as it allows me to use much less sweetener. The standard pectin brands use an obscene amount of sugar in my opinion, often requiring equal amounts of sugar and fruit! This product uses a low methoxyl method and calls for using two different ingredients, which are included in the box: pectin (the large packet) and calcium powder (the small packet).
Hot tip: Boil some extra water in a saucepan or electric kettle as you’re working. If you need to top off the water in the canner, you won’t cool down the water too much.
Boiling lids or heating above 180°F as once recommended can damage the sealing compound.
Store opened jars of home made jam in the fridge for up to a month.
To freeze jam:
Prepare jam as directed. Transfer jam to jars leaving sufficient headspace for expansion during freezing. Use your favorite freezer containers or glass jars. Go here for tips on safely freezing in canning jars. Store for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator to use.
SOURCE: Adapted from Pomona's Universal Pectin.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 40 Serving Size: 2 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 31Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 0g
