Nanking Cherry Jam Jelly Recipes

NANKING CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Wash fresh cherries with cool tap water but do not soak; drain. Stem cherries and place in an 8- to 10-quart heavy Dutch oven or kettle. Barely cover cherries with water (about 3 1/2 cups). Bring to a simmer (do not boil as flavor will be less). Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until soft and the skin on the cherries starts to split, mashing cherries with a potato masher during cooking. Remove from heat.
• Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Ladle cherry mixture into the sieve. Using the back of a large spoon, press cherries through the sieve; discard seeds and cooked skins. Place the sieve or a colander lined with four layers of 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth over a large bowl. Strain cherry juice; do not squeeze cheesecloth if you want a clear jelly. Measure 3 1/2 cups liquid. Discard pulp.
• In a 4-quart heavy Dutch oven or kettle, stir together the 3 1/2 cups strained liquid and the pectin. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil (bubbles break the surface so rapidly you can't stir them down). Add sugar; stir to combine. Return to boiling; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; quickly skim off foam by gently scooping off the top with a metal spoon.
• Ladle into hot, sterilized* half-pint standard canning jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims; adjust lids. Process jelly in a boiling-water bath canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling and keep the water boiling gently during processing).
• Remove jars; cool on wire racks. When jars are completely cool (12 to 24 hours), press the center of each lid to check the seal. If dip in lid holds, the jar is sealed. If lid bounces up and down, the jar isn't sealed. (The contents of unsealed jars can be refrigerated and used within two to three days or reprocessed within 24 hours.)

NANKING CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Clean berries and heat to a low simmer for about 2-3 minutes (at the simmer) until they release their juice; hang over night to glean juice (I had to use my hands to squish the berries)
• Measure juice and add the same amount of sugar to a heavy pan
• Add lemon juice
• Bring to a boil, skimming any foam from the top; add pectin after it has boiled for 2 minutes and all sugar is dissolved
• Boil for one more minute; ladle into hot, clean jars and seal

NANKING CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Put as many cherries as you've managed to pick into a large pot, add half a cup to a cup of water (less than a cup if you have under 8 cups of berries; a cup if it's more) and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the cherries soften and start to release their juices, mashing occasionally with a potato masher.
• Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a bowl - or use a jelly bag if you have one. Leave it if you want a clear jelly, or swirl a spoon around in the sieve to coax out as much juice as you can. (This is what I do.) When you get out as much as you can, toss the sludge with all the pits in it, and put the juice back into the pot.
• Measure out about as much sugar as you have juice and set it aside. Add about 1 Tbsp. lemon juice per 2 cups of juice to the juice, and shake in some packaged pectin - I had about 5 cups of juice and used about half a package. (Most recipes call for a packet for 6 cups of juice; you can totally guesstimate here.) Bring the juice-pectin mixture to a full rolling boil, then stir in the sugar. Bring it back to a full, hard boil for 2 full minutes - this means a rolling boil you can't stir down. Remove from the heat and skim any foam off the surface. Ladle into hot, clean jars, seal and cool.
• Makes as much as you like.

NANKING CHERRY JAM/JELLY

Steps:

• To make Juice.
• Combine cherries, apple and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes. Mash mixture occasionally while cooking.
• Strain through a cheesecloth for 8 hours for jelly, or squeeze through a colander to remove the seeds for jam.
• Bring 4 cups of juice/pulp to full rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes.
• Add 3 1/2 - 4 cups of sugar, mix well.
• Bring back to a full rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes.
• Add 1 pouch of liquid pectin and lemon juice.
• Stir for 5 minutes.
• Pour into hot sterile jars, process for 5 minutes or put into freezer when cool. This may take up to 24 hours to set.

BC CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place cherries, apple juice, lemon juice, and pectin into a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, and mix in the sugar. Cook the jam at a rolling boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the cherry jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes, or the time as recommended by your county Extension agent.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

OVER-THE-TOP CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, cover and process cherries in batches until finely chopped. Transfer to a Dutch oven; stir in pectin and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into 6 hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.