Best Part of Summer...Jam!

I thought this blog needed a sunnier, brighter, yummier post after the last couple.  Now I know that those of you following me to keep up with the girls (or eosinophilic disease in general) are probably waiting for an update on Chloe's recent hospitalization, but it's time to throw my recipe followers a bone!  It all ties in anyway.  On days when everyone was feeling well several weeks back, we went cherry picking at local orchards, which I mentioned at the end of this post.  We picked buckets full of red and yellow sweet cherries.  Some we ate fresh, some became beautiful sweet cherry pies, some were transformed into bubbly warm cherry crisp.  And some, perhaps my favorites, were put up as jar after jar of cherry jam.  We made small 4 ounce jars as thank you gifts for Cassidy's teachers and other special school staff.  We made basic cherry jam, some of which we shared with friends.  Then, in an effort to use up some other fruit before it was past it's prime, I whipped up a batch of spiced cherry grapefruit jam.  And it is nothing short of amazing.



I thought it would be nice to share my cherry jam recipes with you today.  For those of you new to canning, I'll go through the process that I use step by step.  The purpose of processing jam in a boiling water bath canner is to make it shelf stable, meaning that you can store it safely in the pantry rather than the refrigerator for at least a year.  If you would rather just keep your jam in the fridge, skip the processing step, and once the jam is ready, just fill the jars with it and pop them in the refrigerator where they will keep for at least 3 months (if it lasts that long!)

If you do decide to process the jam and the whole thing is brand new to you, you do not need to invest in tons of fancy equipment.  You can process the jars in any stock pot (with a lid) large enough to cover the jars with at least one inch of boiling water.  A large stock pot is generally large enough to accommodate standard jelly jars.  You will need something to keep the jars from resting directly on the bottom of the pot.  You can simply fold up a dishtowel and place it in the bottom.  Finally, you will need a way to get the hot jars out when they are finished processing.  So to recap, stock pot, dishtowel, tongs, canning jars.  You probably have everything except the jars, which you can buy in cases of 12 for around $12 at big box stores, kitchen supply stores and many grocery store, especially during the spring and summer.

Accessory Set

Canner with jar rack

If you decide you want to go ahead and jump in to canning, spend a little cash and just buy a canning starter kit.  You can buy the canner with jar rack and accessory set (everything you need except the jars) for about $40.  There are also a variety of options out there in a variety of price ranges, such as the accessory set only (this includes a jar lifter, a lid lifter, wide mouth funnel and a few other things, and is very helpful) for around $10-$15, and I believe the Ball company makes a home canning "Discovery Kit" made to use with a stock pot, which includes a silicone lift out jar rack.  So there are a variety of options in a variety of price ranges depending on your comfort level and what you are willing to spend.  I can a great deal, so I have a big canner and an accessory set.  But the equipment that I have, while good quality, is basic and without bells and whistles so to speak.  I prefer it that way, and it works just fine.


 First, my disclaimer: I have attempted to share safe preserving methods. However, I make no promises. You alone are responsible for your health. Be aware of current safety recommendations. There is a wealth of information from licensed sources about current canning standards available for free on the internet. This is the way that I can for myself and my family. You alone are responsible for your health!

Let's get started!

 1. Wash the jars and lids.  I put my jars in the canner while the water is heating to boil, to make sure they are sterile.  The lids are made up of a ring and a flat lid piece.  Set the rings aside and put the flat lids in a small sauce pan with water.  These you need to warm to just below a simmer, over really low heat.  Do not boil them!  This primes the sealing compound around the edges.






2. Fill the canner or stock pot with enough water to cover the tops of the jars by 1 inch once they are full, and put it on the stove to boil.  This is when I stick my clean, empty jars in, but if you have washed the jars, I feel that this step is probably optional for jam.


 Now for the jam! Because Cassidy is allergic to apples and most commercial pectin is from apple peels, this is a pectin free jam recipe.

You will need:

Sweet Cherry Jam

5 cups of washed, pitted sweet cherries
3 cups of sugar
2 lemons

1. Cut the cherries in half or quarters or both, whatever you prefer.  Toss them into a non-aluminum pot with the juice and zest of the lemons.

2. Cook over medium low heat stirring frequently until they simmer and soften. Put a small plate in the freezer, you will use this to test for jelling shortly.

3. Turn up the heat to medium high and add 3 cups of sugar; stir until evenly mixed.  Keep stirring frequently so that it doesn't burn on the bottom.  Keep this up until the jam starts to thicken.




4. Once it looks like the jam is thickening up and starting to gel, you can do a plate test.  Grab that frozen plate from the freezer and spoon a little jam onto it.  Stick it back in the freezer for a few minutes.  Make sure you keep stirring the jam while you wait, since it is cooking quickly and at a higher temperature at this point.  You don't want to burn it!

5. When you take the plate out again, push your finger slowly through the cooling puddle of jam.  If it wrinkles up across the surface when your finger pushes into it, turn off the burner!  It's ready to go into the jars.  If not, continue to cook and stir for a little longer, then test again.  Be careful not to leave it unattended, or it can overcook quickly.  If that happens it won't taste as good.

 ***If you are making refrigerator jam, you can just fill jars with the hot jam, put lids on them and pop them in the fridge, where they will stay good for 3 months, probably even longer if they last that long!  If you want the jam to be shelf stable, go on to the next step.***



6. When the jam is ready, ladle it into the hot, empty jars (remove them from the boiling water and empty the jars, but leave the water in the pot, on the stove and boiling for processing!).  Fill them to 1/4 inch from the top. The wide mouth funnel comes in handy here if you have it!

7. With a clean, damp cloth, carefully wipe the rim of the filled jars so there is no jam or residue on them. 

8. Adjust the 2 piece canning lids, which have been prepping in hot water.












9. Put the jars on the canning rack and slowly lower them into the water. The water should cover the lids by an inch or two. Put the lid on the pot.

10.Once the water has come to a full boil again, set a timer and process the jars for 10 minutes.

11. After 10 minutes, turn off the burner and carefully lift the jar rack up.  Transfer the jars to a spot where they won't be disturbed, I put them on a towel along the back of the kitchen counter.  Let them cool completely, which may take overnight.

It's a good idea to label the jars with the date and contents.  You can use cute labels, or just write on the top of the lid with sharpie.  The lids are not reusable for canning anyway.

For more information on safety in food preservation, please go to The National Center for Home Food Preservation.


For Spiced Cherry Grapefruit jam, omit the lemon, but add the juice and pulp of 2 grapefruit, and the zest from just one of the grapefruit.  Also stir in 2 teaspoons of cinnamon while the jam is simmering.  The rest of the process is the same.

You could probably substitute most fruits for the cherries in this recipe.  Higher pectin fruits, like blueberries, will result in a thicker jam than low pectin fruits like strawberries.