How to Make Spiced Cherry Jam; Canning

Marie Overton
Jul 5, 2021
2 min read

Updated: Jul 24

Cherries make a fabulous sweet jam but adding the spices in this spiced cherry jam recipe brings it to a whole new level. The spices create such an intriguing flavor that it is a joy to eat on meat, bread, pancakes, waffles, or ice cream. I love finding different ways to preserve our yearly crops and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do because jam doesn’t need to be boring.

Preparation

Start by preparing your boiling water bath canner with enough water to cover 6 half-pint jars with 1-2 inches of water. Place the pot on the stove on medium heat.

Making the Spiced Cherry Jam

Cherries being rinsed under running water in a silver sink. The sink and faucet are metal, and the countertop is dark speckled granite.

Wash, de-stem, and pit the cherries. I use the Norpro Delux Cherry Pitter.

Hands use an orange cherry pitter on a countertop, spilling cherry juice and pits into a glass dish. A beige apron is in the background.

Blend 2 pounds of pitted cherries. (The blender is easier but if you are not 100% sure you got all of the pits out you will want to mash the cherries so you can remove any remaining pits.)

Hands holding a bowl of cherries above a blender on a speckled countertop. Nearby are dishes with sugar and baking powder.

Mix the cherries with 6 tablespoons of pectin, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of clove, and 1/4 cup of lemon juice in a large pot.

Hands adding butter to a pot of ingredients, stirred with a wooden spoon on a speckled counter.

If you want to reduce foaming add 1/2 teaspoon of butter.

Bring to a full rolling boil on medium-high heat. Stir regularly.

Sugar falling into a metal mixing bowl with red liquid residues on the side. Light highlights the sugar, creating a dynamic motion effect.

Add 4 1/2 cups of sugar and bring back to a full boil for 1 minute.

Wooden spoon stirring deep red sauce in a stainless steel pot. A silver spoon rests inside. Bubbly texture suggests cooking.

Remove the pan from the heat and add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Person ladling purple jam into jars in a kitchen. Apron with "Marie" text. Granite countertop, patterned shirt, and stainless steel pot visible.

Using a jar funnel, pour or ladle the jam into clean, hot, half pint jars with hot jam, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace.

Clean the rims with a clean cloth to ensure a good seal. Place lids on top and screw rings on until they are fingertip-tight.

(For quality, American made Superb canning lids and jars follow this link and use the coupon code WP20 to get 20% off your purchase.)

Place the jars in a boiling water canner, covering them with 1-2 inches of water. Process for 10 minutes at sea level. (Adjust the processing time if you are above 1000 feet.)

After processing, allow to cool in the water bath with the heat off and the lid removed for 5 minutes.

A hand uses tongs to lift a jar of dark preserves from a green mat on a granite countertop in a kitchen, with more jars in the background.

Remove jars from the canner and let them cool on a heat resistant surface about 1-2 inches apart so they can cool a little faster. Allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours so that they can get a nice seal. you know they are sealed if the little "button" in the center of the lid is depressed down.