Homemade Cherry Preserves are a simple, sweet way to preserve your cherries. This tutorial that we are providing you is really easy. The hardest thing about it is that it has a 12-18 hours resting period but with a little planning ahead you can have delicious cherry preserves to use on pancakes, waffles, topping for ice cream, or for a number of other uses. Your imagination is your only limitation.
Supplies
How to Can Cherry Preserves
These directions and recipe make 4 half-pint jars.
The first step is to wash and pit 2 pounds of cherries. I use this Norpro Deluxe Cherry Pitter.
Ingredients:
2 pounds cherries
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon butter (optional)
Wash and pit cherries
Next, we will place the destemmed and pitted cherries in a saucepot and mix them with 4 cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Gently stir until all of the cherries are coated, trying not to mash the cherries.
Coat cherries with sugar.
Place the pan in a cool location and allow the cherries to rest for 12-18 hours. Next, put the pan on the stove, add 1/2 teaspoon of butter if you want to reduce foaming, and bring the mixture to a boil for 1 minute.
Place in jars
Filling Jars with your Cherry Preserves:
Using a jar funnel, fill your hot jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.
Place the lids on top of the jars and add the rings. Tighten the rings to fingertip tight and process in a boiling water bath canner for 15 minutes if at sea level. Remember to adjust the processing time for your elevation if higher than 1000 feet.
Altitude Chart – Water Bath Canning
Cherry Preserves
If you have any questions about canning with the boiling water canner or how to adjust the pressure for altitude, take a look at our canning basics videos.
