Equipment
Large pot (15- 19 Liters or16–20 quart)
Water bath canner
Cherry pitter if using whole cherries
Large spoon or ladle
Canning funnel
Food mill or food processor (optional)
Knife
Cutting board
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup
Jar lifter
Lid lifter
Half-pint canning jars with lids and rings
Dishwasher or boiling water for jar sterilization
Ingredients
Sweet Cherries - 1.4kg / 3lbs , either fresh or frozen* (these weights are for cherries with pits, if you are using pitted cherries, you need about 1kg or 2lbs)
Lemon juice – 45 ml / 3tbsp, fresh or bottled
Water – 125 ml / 1/2 cup
No sugar needed pectin – 70g / 1.25 package / 7 tbsp)*Recommend using no-sugar-needed pectin in this recipe.
Granulated sugar – 500g / 2.5 cups
Preparation
1. Prepare the Jars and Lids
Sanitize jars using a dishwasher on the sanitize cycle or by boiling them for 10 minutes.
Keep jars warm until they are needed.
Immerse lids in hot (not boiling) water for at least 10 minutes.
2. Prepare the Fruit
Wash and pit the cherries.
place pitted cherries in a bowl with 15ml/1tbsp lemon juice as you work to prevent browning.
Once you have finished pitting the cherries, finely chop the cherries or process them through a food mill or food processor.
3. Measure Sugar and Pectin
Combine pectin with 50 g / 0.25 cup of sugar; reserve the remaining sugar.
4. Cook the Fruit
place the chopped cherries and pectin sugar mixture into a large pot along with the remaining lemon juice and 125ml/ 0.5 cup water, mix well to coat.
Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil over medium to high heat, mixing constantly to prevent burning.
Once boiling, add the remainder of the sugar and stir in to dissolve.
return the mixture to a full rolling boil for 1 minute.
Remove any foam from the surface.
While the mixture is boiling, place your lids in a bowl warm them by covering in warm (not boiling) water.
5. Fill and Seal Jars
Ladle the hot jelly into jars, leaving a ¼ inch headspace.
Clean the rims, apply the lids, and screw on the rings finger-tight.
6. Process in Water Bath
Place jars in a boiling water bath canner, ensuring they are fully submerged.
Process for 5 minutes
Adjust for altitude:
1,001–6,000 ft: 10 min
Above 6,000 ft: 15 min
7. Cool and Store
Remove jars and allow them to cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours.
Check the seals: lids should not flex up and down when pressed.
Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months.
Refrigerate any unsealed jars and use within 3 weeks.