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Cherries are one of my all time favorite fruits, so of course when cherry season comes around I want to preserve the harvest! This cherry preserves recipe helps me do just that so I can enjoy the delicious cherry flavor all year round. Cherry preserves make great toppings for ice cream, toast, or even pancakes and waffles. I also like to add mine into homemade ice cream!
Cherry Preserves Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cherries
- 4 cups sugar
- water
- 4 half-pint jars lids, and rings
Instructions
- Wash cherries and remove stems. Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter or lightly pressing with the flat edge of a knife.
- Drain the juice and pour into saucepan. Add sugar. If there isn’t enough juice to dissolve the sugar, add a bit of water. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add the cherries and boil until cherries become translucent.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.
- Wash jars, lids, and rings with warm, soapy water. Fill a water bath canner with water, and place clean jars inside. Bring to a simmer and let stand until you are ready to fill the jars. Fill a small saucepan with water and place the lids inside. Allow to simmer until you are ready to use.
- Pour cherries back into saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Ladle into hot jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Clean rims with a warm, damp cloth. Affix lids and rings to the jars.
- Place jars in water bath canner and bring to a boil. Process for 15 minutes.
What do you preserve this time of year? I also love to dry fruit in the dehydrator, and I usually can or freeze some tomato juice for fall and winter soups and chilis.
