Sweet Cherry Jam

Now is the peak season of cherries.  With the abundance of cherries available, I took the opportunity to prepare this jam.  It tastes great when spread on bread rolls or buns for breakfast.  I will use elderberries (Holunderbeeren) which will be available sometime in the second week of August for my next jam preparation.

Ingredients (yields 3 - 4 bottles):

1 kg red cherries (one can mix both sweet & sour together)

1 kg jam sugar (preserving sugar/gelling sugar) - I used jam (preserving sugar) 1+1 from Südzucker (1+1 means one weight fruits to one weight jam sugar)

juice from one lemon

Method:

Wash and pat dry cherries.  Deseed and cut into quarters.  

It will be easier if you have the following gadget:

By using a handheld Stabmixer, puree cherries a little at a time and add to a big pot.  Add both jam sugar and lemon juice and bring to light boil, stirring constantly.  Remove froth from the surface with a perforated spoon.

Once jam mixture starting to boil, keep stirring for exactly 4 minutes.  Check on the consistency of jam by dropping a small drop of jam onto a plate.  When it starts to thicken to a jelly, that means the jam is done.  Pour boiling water into jam bottles to warm them up as shown:

Empty one bottle and fill it immediately with jam up to the brim.

Once done, put on lid tightly.  Turn the bottle upside down immediately and leave them overnight. Store in a cool and dark place.

Bon Appetit!