When making preparations for the winter, it is worth making a few jars of sweet cherry jam. Its unique taste and aroma can conquer the heart of any gourmet. Combining cherries with other berries and fruits, you can get desserts with different organoleptic qualities. Cherry jam can be used for making pies, sandwiches, other sweet dishes, served as an independent dessert.
Cooking Features
Cooking jam from sweet cherry is not a quick and easy process, but the task will be on the shoulder even for a novice cook if he knows a few subtleties:
- In cherries berries may be small worms that are difficult to detect by visual inspection. They will crawl out and float to the surface if the sweet cherry is soaked in salted water for at least 15-20 minutes. After that, the berry should be well washed so that it does not have a salty taste.
- Drain the dried cherry before cooking. It dries faster if it is poured onto a fabric that absorbs water well.
- To make jam, sweet stones must be squeezed out. Some do it with a pin, but it is much more convenient to use a special device.
- Cherry for making jam must be chopped. This can be done with a blender or grinder. If you want the jam to have a smooth consistency, you will have to abandon the help of kitchen appliances and wipe the cherries through a sieve by hand. This process is time consuming, but the result is worth the effort.
- If you want to make jam without spending much time boiling the berry mass, you can add pectin or gelatin to it. Sugar in this case can be put a little less than when cooking jam according to classic recipes.
- In order for the jam to stand well, it should be laid out on previously sterilized cans. Lids should also be boiled.
- Do not use aluminum utensils for making berry jam. It releases harmful substances upon contact with acids. The most convenient way to make jam in an enamel bowl. Suitable and stainless steel utensils.
Cherry jam recipes are varied. Everyone will be able to find a delicacy option to their liking.
Classic Cherry Jam Recipe
The composition (1, 4 l):
- sweet cherry - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0, 75 kg;
- citric acid - 4 g.
Preparation Method:
- Sort through the cherries by removing the twigs. Prepare the brine by adding a teaspoon of salt per liter of water. Dip cherries for 20 minutes in this solution. Remove the worms that float to the surface. Rinse well with running water. Dry by spilling on a kitchen towel. Remove bones from each berry.
- Fill the berries with sugar, leave for an hour.
- Put the basin of cherry on the stove. Bring to a boil over low heat. Cook, removing the foam, 5 minutes.
- Allow the berry to cool slightly, mash it with a blender.
- Bring the cherry to the boil again. Add citric acid, stir.
- Tomite over low heat until you get the desired consistency. It will take 15-25 minutes.
- Spread the boiled jam on the previously sterilized jars, close them tightly.
After cooling, the jars can be stored in a pantry - jam, made according to the classic recipe, is well worth it at room temperature.
Sweet cherry jam with juice and lemon zest
Composition (for 1, 2 l):
- sweet cherry - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0.5 kg;
- lemon - 0, 5 pcs.
Preparation Method:
- Lemon, wash well by rubbing with a brush.
- Squeeze the juice out of half the fruit, grate the zest from it.
- Prepare the sweet cherry by rinsing it, dried, freed from the stones.
- Fill the berries with sugar, leave for half an hour, so that they let the juice.
- Heat over low heat, cook for 10 minutes, removing the froth protruding on the surface.
- Grind with a blender or other method.
- Add lemon juice and zest.
- Return to the stove. Boil, stirring, until the jam has acquired the desired consistency.
- Spread the jam over sterilized jars, spin them with boiled lids. Turn the jars over, cover with a warm blanket.
After cooling, the jars can be removed to the place where you usually store winter supplies. Jam, prepared according to this recipe, will not spoil even at room temperature.
Cherry jam with pectin
The composition (1, 5 l):
- sweet cherry - 1 kg;
- pectin - 4 g;
- sugar - 0, 75 kg;
- lemon juice - 50 ml.
Preparation Method:
- Clean pitted cherries, roll through a meat grinder or turn into a puree in another way.
- Add sugar, leave for an hour.
- Put it on the stove. On a fast fire bring to a boil, reduce the intensity of the flame and cook for 10-15 minutes.
- Add lemon juice and pectin. Boil the jam to the desired consistency for 3-4 minutes.
- Spread thick jam over prepared cans, seal them.
Cherry jam with pectin is thicker than traditional cooked recipes. Store it at room temperature.
Cherry jam in a multicooker
Composition (for 1, 2-1, 3 l):
- sweet cherry - 1 kg;
- sugar - 0.5 kg;
- lemon juice - 60 ml.
Preparation Method:
- Clean the cherries from the seedlings, chop them to puree.
- Mix with sugar. Leave overnight.
- Put the multicooker in the bowl. Turn on the unit by selecting the “Jam” program. If there is no such program, cook in extinguishing mode. Cooking time is 45 minutes.
- 5 minutes before readiness add lemon juice to the jam, mix.
- Spread over sterilized jars, close them tightly.
It is advisable to store the cooled jam in a cool place or at a temperature slightly below room temperature.
Cherry jam has a rich color, a unique aroma, a pleasant taste with pronounced sourness. You can prepare it according to various recipes. To get a delicacy with a delicate texture, sweet cherry is ground through a sieve. More dense texture allows you to get the addition of pectin. Regardless of the recipe for the cherry jam, you can store it without a fridge.
