Equipment
Large pot (15- 19 Liters or16–20 quart)
Water bath canner
Food mill or jelly strainer
Cherry Pitter
Large spoon or ladle
Canning funnel
Jar lifter
Lid lifter
Half-pint canning jars with lids and rings
Fine sieve or cheesecloth
Dishwasher or boiling water for jar sterilization
Ingredients
Sweet Cherries - 1.6kg / 3.5lbs , either fresh or frozen* (these weights are for cherries with pits, if you are using pitted cherries, you need about 1kg or 2lbs) or 4 cups cherry juice
Lemon juice – 30 ml / 2tbsp, fresh or bottled
Water – 125 ml / 1/2 cup omit if using cherry juice
Pectin – 71g / 1.25 package / 7 tbsp
Granulated sugar – 800g / 4 cups *verify the exact sugar to pectin ratio for your specific pectin.
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- Skip to step 4 if using Juice
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. Extract Fruit Juice
Place the cherries in a saucepan with 0.5 cups of water.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let it cool.
Transfer the cherries and any juice from the saucepan into a jelly strainer or bag.
Press out all the juice from the fruit.
Ensure you have a total of 4 cups of juice, adding water as necessary to reach that volume.
3. Measure Sugar and Pectin
Combine pectin with 50 g / 0.25 cup of sugar; reserve the remaining sugar.
4. Cook the Cherries and pectin
place the juice and pectin sugar mixture into a large pot along with the lemon juice.
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.Test for Gel Set
Place a spoonful on a cold metal spoon and allow it to cool. If it thickens, it is ready.
If not, return to heat with a small amount of additional pectin and re-boil for 1 minute.
6. 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.
7. 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
8. 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.