Monday, July 15, 2013

Simple Cherry Jam

A friend of our has a couple cherry trees that have had a bumper crop this year. Have you noticed how well the fruit trees are bearing?  All this rain and warm weather have made for the perfect growing conditions here in Michigan and as luck would have it, my friend's tree made lots and lots of beautiful sour cherries.
So many that she felt the need to share.
Sharing is good:>)
I believe Earl and I have decided to plant cherry trees. Our friend brought us a lovely gift of cherries Sunday and I was determined to make cherry jam. I found a wonderful recipe on Pinterest for a simple sour cherry jam containing only sour cherries and sugar.
It's fantastic. Sweet enough to enjoy, but with plenty of tart cherry flavor. I had a jar of vanilla sugar in the pantry and decided to use it in the recipe. I think it added a little something extra but it certainly wouldn't be necessary if you don't have some hanging around. The recipe is from a blog called Simple Bites that looks like a fun foodie blog that I intend to explore more in the near future.
The recipe for this jam is here, but it's really just 6 cups of tart cherries (pitted of course!) and 2 1/2 cups of sugar boiled together (stir it a lot) for 20-40 minutes until it thickens and starts to gel when a spoonful is poured onto a very cold plate and refrigerated for a  couple minutes. If it starts to thicken and wrinkle when you run a finger through the cooled spoonful it's ready to put in jars. It makes about 3 cups.  I made several very small jars for gifts and will keep a jar for ourselves. 
It's super easy and super good. 
Do you make jam? What's your favorite kind?

7 comments:

  1. Cherry jam sounds so good! We live in Indiana and it has been a wonderful year for fruit here too. I've been picking raspberries by the quart full.

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  2. I would love to make jam, some friends and I were just talking about it. I saw a blogger using a gadget to remove the pit, how did you do yours?

    XO,
    Jane

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  3. Yumm-O! It sounds wonderful. I love to make jam, too. My favorite is raspberry freezer jam. No cook - delicious! We have raspberries on our bushes right now. I'm going to try to make a low-sugar or no-sugar version and put it in the freezer.
    ~Adrienne~

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  4. My mouth is watering for some Michigan cherry jam now! It looks great. I have not made jam or jelly ever.

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  5. This sounds sooo good.
    When we moved into this olden house 40 yrs ago, there were 2 sour cherry trees in the backyard. I made cherry jam much like your recipe. Everyone in our family just loved it. Over the years, both trees died and we kept thinking we'd plant another...just never did.
    So, you and Earl go forth and plant those trees....you'll be so glad you did. :)
    About the HC magazines...I have some coming...don't need any more. I thank you for your offer. :))
    I think I am the one that sent some magazines to you several yrs ago. lol

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  6. We rarely eat jam so I haven't made it in a long time and it was just freezer jam.

    It's great having fruit trees so definitely plant cherries if they grow well in your area!

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  7. Making jam is one of my favorite things to do. It's so satisfying and not very much work. And it's sooo much better than store bought! I make apricot, strawberry, blackberry, peach, raspberry and pepper jelly. But cherry sounds delicious. Mimi

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