Sour Cherry Jam. This easy jam is not generally found in stores, but it's wonderful. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer/grinder attachment to grind the cherries... and I buy them frozen from Kirby's Farm Market, so when I say easy-peasy, I truly mean it!
You need 3 lbs. of sour cherries. They sell them in 4 lb. bags, so you have enough leftover for a small pie. Or buy several bags like I do and keep them in the freezer so they're always on hand. There should never be an end of season on cherries!
I'm just sayin'.
Basic recipe:
4 Cups Chopped or coarse ground cherries
6 1/2 cups sugar
2 pouches of Certo, opened and standing upright in a bowl or jar for quick handling
Mix fruit and sugar in 4 or 5 quart saucepan. Cook to boiling. Bring to full rolling boil. Add Certo quickly, stirring as you add. Bring back to rolling boil. Remove from heat. Skim off foam. Now I stir here for a couple of minutes to avoid having the fruit come to the top...
I'm old school.
You can either freeze the jam OR go old school and can it in pretty, freshly boiled jam jars with those adorable decorative lids. Or use plain lids. Either way is good.
I use canning directions from the old Ball Blue Book for Canning.
LOVE IT.
But today's directions will scare you into water bathing your jams and jellies. I don't do that, I've never done that, no one has died (that I'll TALK ABOUT) but because I'm clearly at odds with whatever government bureaucracy oversees high sugar botulism.
Sigh.
Anyway, the jam is amazingly delicious on bread... Ruthy's homemade bread being a popular one! Or on PB&J sandwiches... or in cookies.... or as a thin layer with custard filling in cakes.
Oh, mylanta, so good!
Oops, must pause here, my young helper just severed the Invisible Fence wire... we do this regularly because we're not all that bright and yes... I told him where to dig so it's my fault.
Dagnabbit.
Okay, fencing is fixed and up and running again!
