Cherry Jam is a rich and sweet topping that is perfect for desserts or even sweet morning breakfasts!
Total Cooking Time: 35 minutes
I was surprised to find that cherries were the one fruit I could not find at my local grocery store. They had pineapple, mango, even plantain! But no cherries. It was rather odd. So, to make my cherry jam, I ended up using frozen cherries. This really ended up being more of an experiment than I meant it to be. But it turned out nicely. And it is the perfect complement to my Bakewell Steamed School Pudding from Week 5 of my Season 8 Bake Off Challenge.
Ingredients
There are only three ingredients needed for cherry jam: cherries (of course), sugar, and lemon juice. This is a really simple process for such a delicious outcome.
Process
01
Boiling Down the Cherries
There is only one step to making cherry jam – put it all in a pot and cook it! Okay, there are some more nuanced steps than that but that it the one-line overview. After throwing everything into a pot, I simmered it on low heat to melt the sugar down completely. I didn’t want any grainy texture in my jam.
After the sugar has been fully dissolved, I cranked up the heat and let everything boil down. The juice from the cherries will combined with the lemon juice which becomes a syrupy consistency. When it coat the back of a spoon when it ready. Then all that’s left is to let it cool and then it’s ready to enjoy!!
Reflections
While I call this Cherry Jam, it doesn’t really fit with the consistency that I normally associate with Jam. Its more chunky than I was expecting but it is still delicious! I think chopping the cherries to a finer consistency before or blending it a bit after its cooked would give the results I had expected.
Lessons
Using Canned or Frozen
When there is no fresh fruit available, there are generally two other options: Canned and frozen. One of the biggest reasons that I like go with frozen foods over canned is because of the goo you find in many canned foods. To preserve the fruit, manufacturers with process both canned and frozen fruits within hours of them getting picked. But canned foods will also have even more extra ingredients added to preserve the fruit for even longer. And often, this will include sugar in the form of high fructose syrup.
For this recipe, the fruit is becoming a jam with a syrup like consistency. If you find that frozen isn’t an option, I recommend cutting out the sugar all together. You can boil down the can’s contents with some water to help dilute the high sugar of content.
Cherry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cup Cherries about 1 lb
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Place cherries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium pan and set to a low heat.
- Stir gently until the sugar dissolves. The juice should also flow very smoothly.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and allow to simmer, stirring frequently, for about 20 minutes. The juice should act like a syrup, coating the back of the spoon.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Leave to cool.
- Enjoy!!
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