 What can I say, we love our jams and preserves! I designed this one to go with the beautiful Rainier Cherries that Northwest Cherries sent me. Perfect match to some Granny Smith Apples. ~Enjoy! Diane Cherry & Granny Smith Preserve -small batch- Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs Rainier Cherries, stemmed & pitted 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup honey 1/2 fresh lemon juiced & zested 1 large Granny Smith Apple, diced small 1/4 packet of pink box sure jel pectin (for a firmer set use 1/2 the packet) Yield: 3 half pints (this recipe can be doubled) increase sugar by amount of honey called for it not using honey Directions: Wash, Stem, Pit cherries, cut some into small diced pieces (about 3/4 cup diced, these will go in at the end of cook time with some reserved diced apple) I soak my whole cherries in a large bowl and the cut up diced pieces in a small cup - both in ascorbic acid (Fruit Fresh) and water to prevent darkening. Wash, core, peel and dice up the Granny Smith Apple - you can leave the peels on if desired, that is where a greater amount of pectin resides. (add 1/2 cup diced apples to the reserved diced cherries in cup) Place whole cherries and unreserved apple into sauce pan, add in 1/2 the sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring so they don't scorch, until the cherries start to release their juices (about 10 mins.) Add in the remaining sugar and honey, with lemon and lemon zest. Cook on medium-low heat for approx 30-40 minutes. Once you see the apples have softened, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture smooth. Add in the reserved cherry & reserved apple diced pieces and cook everything another 2-3 minutes, sprinkle in 1/4 a packet of pink box Sure Jel to the mixture and raise the heat to a High boil, one that won't stop bubbling when stirred. The pectin releases at high temp and the jam starts to set. Once the jam is to your liking in thickness, fill hot, sterile jars to 1/4" head-space, wipe jar rims free of any jam residue, adding a new lid and a band to jars. Process in a boiling water-bath for 10 minutes, or according to your local altitude. Remove jars from canner when time is up, and let cool in a draft-free environment for 24 hours (I check seals at the 4 hour mark - if any are still unsealed, place in fridge for immediate consumption) After 24 hours, check seals, remove rings, wash jars in warm-soapy water, label and store for up to one year in your pantry. Note: If you do omit using the 1/4 cup honey, you must increase the sugar by 1/4 cup. Recipe & Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Rainier Cherries: Provided by Northwest Cherries/Washington State 
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 Cook Type Clear Jel can be finicky as well and expand when heated in the jar so, to avoid a mess you can leave 1/4" more headspace then called for by this recipe when filling jars, I canned up 3 quarts using the beautiful dark sweet cherries that Northwest Cherries sent me. One quart is perfect for one 9-inch pie. This recipe is Water Bath Canned. ~Enjoy! Diane Sweet Cherry Pie Filling Simple Syrup (per One Quart) 3 1/3 Cups Sweet Cherries 1 Cup Sugar 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste stirred in) or 1/4 tsp almond extract 1/8 tsp cinnamon, optional cook type clear jel 1/4 cup 1 1/3 cold water 1 Tbs + 1 tsp fresh bottled lemon juice Quality: Select fresh, very ripe, and firm cherries. Please read Using Boiling Water Canners before beginning. If this is your first time canning, it is recommended that you read Principles of Home Canning. Procedure: Rinse and pit fresh cherries, and hold in cold water. To prevent stem end browning, use ascorbic acid solution. For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 1 gallon boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine sugar and Clear Jel in a large saucepan and add water. If desired, add cinnamon, almond or vanilla extract, Stir mixture and cook over medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in drained cherries immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch headspace Process: Boiling Water Bath Can for 30 minutes *or according to your altitude. Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Procedure by: NCHFP http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_02/can_pie/cherry_filling.html Cherries by: Northwest Cherries/Washington State  I'm new to the "boozy" cherry idea. I thought I'd try making some since I had cherry brandy on hand from another recipe. Why not? right. I cannot wait until this coming Christmas to break open a jar and enjoy with the Winter Festivities. These may just make a great Christmas hostess gift too! I only made two pints this first time - to see if we need to make any future adjustments to my recipe. ~Enjoy! Diane Boozy Sweet Cherries Syrup - enough for 1 Pint: 1 Cup water 1/2 Cup sugar To each Pint Jar add: Sweet Cherries, stemmed & pitted 1/3 cup Cherry Brandy Place sugar and water in a sauce pan on stove-top over low to medium heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved into a hot syrup. Place 1/2 cup of the hot syrup into the bottom of each hot, clean, sterile pint jar, add in cherries, shaking cherries down lightly as you fill. Place 1/3 cup of cherry brandy into each pint jar over cherries and top off using more hot syrup until you reach 1/2" head-space. Make sure to de-bubble your jars and refill with hot syrup to bring to proper head-space. I use a thin wooden skewer and poke around to release all the air bubbles I can... (an average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints) Since this is considered a 'Raw pack:' Process in a boiling water-bath for 25 minutes or according to your local altitude. Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Cherries by: Northwest Cherries/Washington State   . Step back! Hold the phone! THIS you need to make!! I love fruit butter (resembles un-gelled jam.) this Dark Cherry Fruit Butter is excellent! Its not a runny syrup or a super thick fruit butter like my Spiced Apple Butter but, great for spooning over oatmeal, swirling into ice cream, folding into baked goods, using as a sauce, and dripping over fresh scones. ~Enjoy! Diane Sweet Cherry Fruit Butter Ingredients: 3.25 lbs Sweet Cherries, stemmed & pitted juice of one large lemon & zest 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 cup honey 1 Tbs cherry brandy, optional Yield: 5 half pints Directions: Wash, stem and pit the cherries - you'll need 3.25 lbs after pitting. Place the cherries and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large pot. Bring to a light boil, stirring occasionally over Medium heat.. Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers and let the mixture cook for 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent scorching. Prepare your waterbath canner and jars as the mixture cooks down. After an hour, the cherries will have released their juices and softened. The mixture will be reduced and a deep red wine color. Take the pot off the heat and puree until smooth with an immersion blender. When the mixture is velvety smooth, add in the honey, lemon juice and lemon zest. Return the pot to the stove and place over medium heat. The fruit butter will start sputtering once heated back up. Let it cook for another minute or so, until the butter is thick and spreadable (it will thicken and set more as it cools). At this point, stir in Cherry Brandy if using. Ladle the boiling hot fruit butter into hot, sterile jars, filling them to 1/4" head-space. Wipe the rims, and add a new lid, band and process in a boiling water-bath for 10 minuted or according to your local altitude. The fruit butter should keep, unopened, for at least 6 months in your pantry. Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home Cherries by: Northwest Cherries/Washington State **Updated 2017, to add my 2017 Canbassador Links below. I am super excited and honored to have been appointed a "Canbassador" for sweetpreservation.com in conjunction with Northwest Cherries and Washington State. The kind folks sent me some wonderful cherries to can with this week. I was prepared for their arrival with old recipes and new recipes 'in hand.' I completed 5 recipes over the last two days, It truly was a labor of love, I love fresh Summer fruits and being able to preserve them safely for consumption when its time to break out the shovels for Winter (my great solace, a warm fireplace and a well stocked pantry filled with Summers bounty!) Over the next few days I will be sharing four recipes you haven't seen plus, a new one that I felt the need to repeat using Northwest Cherries! (my fruit cocktail) Please make sure to stop by sweetpreservation.com to explore their website and recipe box! I also love their downloadable jar labels - make sure to check those out too!! Thanks again for appointing me 'Canbassador'! I hope everyone enjoys my Cherry posts! ~Diane Here is a list and links to Sweet Preservations 2016 Cherry recipes: Peach, Cherry and Apple Compote Yellow Cherry Jam Sweet Cherries with Basil Brandied Cherries Sweet Cherry Chutney White Cherries in Raspberry Syrup Canned Sweet or Sour Cherries - Whole Sweet Cherry Topping Sweet Pickled Cherries Here is a list of my new 2016 Cherry recipes (plus some tried and true recipe from the past): New: Mixed Fruit Cocktail Sweet Cherry Fruit Butter Boozy Brandy Sweet Cherries Cherry Pie Filling {vanilla infused} Cherry & Granny Smith Apple Preserves Tried & True: Sweet Cherry Jam with Pineapple Homemade Maraschino Cherries Atomic Roasted Cherry BBQ Sauce Sweet Cherry Jam Here are additional 2017 new Cherry recipes: New: Danish Sweet Cherry Sauce Sweet Cherry Pie Filling *without clear jel Drunken Cherry Lemon Marmalade |
