Homemade Sweet Cherry Jam Recipe: Easy Canning Instructions
Make the best homemade sweet cherry jam with just 4 ingredients. This easy cherry jam recipe uses Bing or Rainier cherries, sugar, lemon juice, and pectin for a rich, fruity flavor. Includes step-by-step canning instructions, FAQs, and creative ways to use cherry jam in pastries, ice cream, and more.
Servings: 4 half pints
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped pitted sweet cherries
- 6 Tablespoons Pectin
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 4 ½ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Fill the water bath canner with water (to give the jars water 1 inch above the jars. Start heating the water while you process the cherries.
- Wash the cherries.
- Remove the stems, pits and cut the cherries into small pieces (rough chop).
- Place the cherries and lemon juice and pectin into the Dutch oven.
- Stir to blend the pectin evenly through the cherries.
- Add the cinnamon and ground cloves and mix together.
- Bring the mix to a boil over medium heat.Stir to keep the mix from burning.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar melts.
- Bring to a rolling boil, stirring to keep from boiling.
- Stir the mix for a minute while it boils (rolling boil is a boil you cannot stir down). Stir. Stir. Stir.
- After a minute, remove from heat.
- Place the funnel on the jar and with the ladle, fill the jars, leaving 1/4" head space from the top.
- Clean the top of the jar with a clean wet towel.
- Place a seal on the jar and hand tighten.
- Place the jars in hot water in the water bath canner.
- Repeat filling each jar and placing into the water bath canner, water 1" over top of jars.
- Bring the water to a boil and water bath jars for 15 minutes.
- After the time is up, turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit for 5 minutes.
- Remove the jars and place on a towel.
- Cover the jars and allow them to cool for 12 hours.
- Check to ensure they have sealed. Label and date the jars.