We've been making this recipe from local farm market cherries for a couple of years. Sometimes we even have time to pick them ourselves, which makes the whole experience more fun!
Canning set (large pot, jar rack, jar lifter, canning funnel)
Ladle
Sweet Cherry Jam
3cupssweet cherries (about 1 quart)
3cupssugar
1/4cuplemon juice
1/4cupmerlot wine
2-1.75 oz packagespowdered fruit pectin
Instructions
Canning Equipment
Fill your pot with water and bring to a boil
Place your jars in the boiling water for 10 minutes
Pull out the jars and place on a clean towel
Using tongs, dip the jar funnel and ladle in the boiling water to sterilize
Cherry Merlot Wine Jam
Wash and pit cherries and then chop about half of the cherries.
Place cherries, sugar, wine and lemon juice in a large heavy bottomed pot with a candy thermometer attached.
Bring to a boil, stirring often, skimming any foam that forms.
Once the temperature reaches 220F add in the pectin and stir until it's dissolved
Bring to a boil for one minute and then take off the heat
Using the jar funnel, ladle the jam evenly into the jars, making sure to leave a half inch of head room.
Place lids and rings on the jars and place in jar rack and lower into boiling water. Make sure water covers jars by at least 1-2 inches.
Boil for 15 minutes and remove jars with a jar lifter.
Place jars on a towel and leave 12-24 hours. Once the jars are cooled, test the lids to make sure they have no give when pressed in the center. If they do have give, either refrigerate or attempt canning again.
Store in a cool dry place until ready to use jam.
Notes
Always follow the recipe! It's important to remember that acids (vinegar, citrus juice) and sugar are preservatives.
Cherry juice stains and splashes! So you want to wear old clothes when you’re pitting cherries.
If you are canning the jam, always start with new lids but feel free to use whatever mason jars you have on hand, whether they're 4oz, 8oz or 16 oz jars. but you'll need a total of 32 ounces in jar space.