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Cherry jam (with pectin) — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 4 cups ground or finely chopped pitted cherries (about 3 pounds or 2 quart boxes sour cherries)
- 1 package powdered pectin
- 5 cups sugar
Equipment
- 1 Boiling-water bath canner with rack
- 1 Large stainless or enamel preserving pot
- 1 Canning jars with two-piece lids
- 1 Headspace and bubble tool
- 1 Jelly or candy thermometer
Directions
- Sterilize canning jars and prepare two-piece canning lids according to manufacturer s directions. To prepare fruit. Sort and wash fully ripe cherries; remove any stems and pits. Grind cherries or chop fine. To make jam. Measure prepared cherries into a kettle. Add pectin and stir well.
- Place on high heat and, stirring constantly, bring quickly to a full boil with bubbles over the entire surface. Add sugar, continue stirring and heat again to full bubbling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat; skim Fill hot jam immediately into hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a Boiling Water Canner .
- Processing: Process Hot, Half-pints or Pints, boiling-water canner, 0 - 1,000 ft - 5 minutes.
- Altitude-adjusted processing table: Table 1. Recommended process time for Cherry Jam in a boiling water canner. / Process Time at Elevations of / Style of Pack - Jar Size - 0 - 1,000 ft - 1,001 - 6,000 ft - Above 6,000 ft / Hot - Half-pints / / or Pints - 5 min - 10 - 15
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
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Share your results how it turned out.Safety classification
Tested NCHFP home-canning recipe.
Processing details
Method: Boiling water bath. Hot pack; half-pint or pint jars; 1/4-inch headspace; about 6 half-pints.
Tested source
Preparation timeline
Pit and finely chop sour cherries; mix with powdered pectin; bring to a full boil; add sugar; boil hard 1 minute; fill sterile jars; process.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner, half-pint or pint jars, cherry pitter, jar lifter, funnel, and preserving kettle.
Visual method guide
- Prepare and measure juice or fruit exactly.
- Cook to the tested rolling-boil endpoint.
- Fill, process by elevation, and cool undisturbed.
Safety essentials
Use regular powdered pectin and the exact prepared-fruit and sugar quantities. Different pectin types are not interchangeable.
About this recipe
A sour-cherry jam with finely chopped fruit and regular powdered pectin.
Before you begin
Sterilize jars because the base process is 5 minutes. Measure cherries only after stemming, pitting, and chopping.
Altitude/pressure schedule
| Elevation | Half-pints or pints |
|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 5 min |
| 1,001–6,000 ft | 10 min |
| Above 6,000 ft | 15 min |
Serving suggestions
Spread on breakfast breads or use with yogurt, pastries, chocolate desserts, and glazes.
FAQ
May sweet cherries replace sour cherries? Use the exact fruit type specified by the tested card rather than substituting.
Recipe context and comparison
This jam retains cherry pieces, unlike clear cherry jelly, and its pectin balance is recipe-specific.
Troubleshooting
Incomplete pitting or changing measured fruit volume can affect quality; maintain the full one-minute hard boil.
Source and provenance
Safety-critical values remain tied to the original NCHFP source.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages: