Sour Cherry Jam
You can use any variety of cherries for this jam. Wash the cherries thoroughly and drain them in a colander. Pit the cherries, and if they are big and the skin is tough, cut them in smaller pieces. I left mine whole since they were small enough, had soft skin and were very juicy.
The pitted cherries
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The cooked cherries before sugar was added.
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Ingredients: 4 pint-sized jars with lids and screws 3 pounds cherries 3 cups sugar juice and zest of 2 lemons 1 Tbs. Kirschwasser (optional) ½ tsp. almond extract 
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Direction: Cook the cherries with the lemon juice and zest for about 20 minutes until they are juicy and red. Cook them in a large pot and stir occasionally. After cooking, measure the cherries & juice again and use 75% of that amount of sugar. I ended up with 4 cups of cherries and their juices, so I used 3 cups of sugar. Return the cherries to the large pot, add the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent the jam from sticking to the pot. Cook until the jam starts to jell. (Test on a plate you have put in the freezer.) My jam was done in 20 minutes. Put the jam into prepared sterilized jars. Put lid and screw on, and turn the jam upside down. After the jam has cooled, test to see if the jars have sealed. Read my other jam recipes for detailed instructions on canning and equipment. Guten Appetit Recipe adapted from David Leibovitz by © Sunnycovechef |