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    You Are Here Home » Jam and Preserves Recipes

    Published: Aug 14, 2021 Updated: Aug 14, 2021 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 10 Comments

    Backwoods Chokecherry Jelly

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    chokecherry jelly pin

    This foraged Backwoods Chokecherry Jelly recipe is easy to prepare and has the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. If you leave it chunky, you can make Chokecherry Jam instead! And if you have more chokecherries, try my Chokecherry Syrup!

    Chokecherries are currently in season. However, chokecherries are not the same thing as cherries. You won't find chokecherries at your local grocery store, so don't go looking for them there!

    I've been known to pick them along windy backwoods Montana roads, with friends driving by and honking and strangers stopping to ask what I was picking and why. Yup, no shame at all, you have to get these tasty berries where you can find them!

    If picked too early, the fruit has a very astringent taste that will make you "choke" or at least pucker. The berries go from green to red, to black, which is when you know that they're fair game.

    green plant
    Unripe, green chokecherries
    ripe chokecherries on a tree
    The same bush with ripe chokecherries

    I have heard it said that you should not pick chokecherries until after the first frost. However, when you're competing with other people, birds, goats, and BEARS, you gotta get'em while you can!

    a couple picking fruit with a few goats in the road
    My brother-in-law, Steve, and his wife, Kim, helping me pick chokecherries... and being supervised by the goats that happened along...
    Jump to:
    • 🍴Why This Recipe Works
    • 📝 What You Need to Make This Recipe
    • 🥘 Recipe Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
    • 🔪 How to Make Chokecherry Jelly
    • 💭 Recipe FAQS and Expert Tips
    • 🍲 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🍴Why This Recipe Works

    This is a tried and tested recipe. I didn't only make this once, but four times just to get the texture and taste perfect. The precise measurements and the use of pectin will ensure that the chokecherry jelly will set every time you prepare it. Not only will you love it, but so will the recipients of your delicious gift. You are going to share, aren't you?

    📝 What You Need to Make This Recipe

    chokecherry jelly ingredients, labeled

    🥘 Recipe Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

    • Chokecherries — As mentioned earlier, this wild fruit needs to be foraged and is usually ripe in August (at least in Montana). Choose the berries that are dark in color or almost black.
    • Pectin — I've tried a few different types of pectin for this recipe, including liquid pectin. The one that gave me the best results was RealFruit Classic Pectin.
    • Lemon Juice — I like to add a little lemon juice for the acidity. I recommend using fresh lemon juice when possible, but you can substitute bottled if you need to.
    • Butter — A teaspoon of butter can cut down on the amount of foam that is produced as the chokecherry jelly boils. If you don't add the butter, you may need to skim the foam off the jelly before you can it.
    • Vanilla Extract — In the past, I have used vanilla extract in my chokecherry recipes. This is mainly because I'm not a big fan of almond extract, which seems to be recommended in many recipes. Feel free to add vanilla extract, almond extract, or leave them out, like I did.

    🔪 How to Make Chokecherry Jelly

    Step 1 | Water Bath Canning

    Wash six half-pint canning jars, then place jars in a water bath canner. Boil for 10 minutes. Keep the jars in the hot water until needed. The lids and bands can be added a few minutes before you need them.

    a pot of jars being sterilized in water
    a pot of jars being sterilized in boiling water

    Step 2 | Juice Chokecherries

    Add cleaned chokecherries to a large saucepan. Cover with six cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer, uncovered, over low heat, for 30 minutes. Smash the fruit to release the juice and strain the liquid through a fine strainer, jelly bag, or a few layers of cheesecloth. You should have approximately 3½ cups of chokecherry juice. If not, add enough water to equal 3½ cups.

    pouring water over a pot of chokecherries
    chokecherries covered in water
    mashing chokecherries to make chokecherry juice
    straining chokecherry juice through a blue strainer

    Pro Tip: To make chokecherry jam, add some of the pulp to the juice so that you end up with a more jam-like texture.

    Step 3 | Add Pectin, Lemon Juice, and Butter

    Clean the saucepan and return it to the stove. Pour strained juice back into the pot. Turn the heat to medium. Whisk in RealFruit Classic Pectin until dissolved. Add lemon juice, and butter, if using. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, over high heat, whisking constantly.

    pouring chokecherry juice into a pot
    adding pectin to chokecherry jelly
    adding lemon juice to chokecherry jelly
    adding butter to chokecherry jelly

    Step 4 | Add Sugar

    Next, add 4 cups of sugar, while you whisk quickly to dissolve it. Return the mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one additional minute, as you continue to stir the mixture. Remove from heat and skim off the foam, if necessary. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe the glass jar rims with a damp kitchen towel and screw bands hand-tight.

    chokecherry jelly boiling
    stirring sugar into chokecherry jelly
    stirring chokecherry jelly
    2 jars of chokecherry jelly
    chokecherry jelly with chokecherries around it
    Chokecherry jelly

    Step 5 | Process the Chokecherry Jam/Jelly

    Add jars to the canner filled with water and make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the filled jars in boiling water, for a minimum of 10 minutes, adding 5 additional minutes for every 1000'-3000' above sea level. 

    jam jars boiling in water
    Canning chokecherry jelly

    Pro Tip: Test the seals to make sure that the jars have sealed properly then store in the pantry for up to a year. If a jar has not been sealed you can either try to seal it again or store in the refrigerator to be consumed first.

    💭 Recipe FAQS and Expert Tips

    When should you pick chokecherries?

    Chokecherries should be picked in late summer. According to nrcs.usda.gov, they are found in all but eight states here in the U.S.

    In Montana, chokecherries begin ripening in August. It is generally recommended to wait until after the first frost, which is said to make the fruit sweeter and less astringent.

    chokecherry tree

    What can chokecherries be used for?

    Chokecherries might not be the best-tasting fruit when picked off the plant, but there are many ways that the fruit can be enjoyed. Here are a few examples.
    • Chokecherry Jam, Syrup, or Sauce
    • Chokecherry Liqueur, Mead, or Chokecherry Wine
    • Chokecherry Pie

    What is the best way to juice chokecherries?

    After washing the chokecherries, add them to a large pot and cover them with an equal amount of water. Simmer the chokecherries for 30 minutes or longer. Once the fruit begins to burst, smash the berries using a potato masher. Keep in mind that if you simmer the fruit longer, more of the juice will evaporate, yielding less juice.

    Strain the liquid through a sieve or jelly strainer. If you prefer a clearer liquid, don't press down on the chokecherries in an attempt to get more juice out of the berries. This can cause your juice to be cloudy.

    Another great way to juice chokecherries is with a steam juicer.

    What part of the chokecherry is edible?

    The fleshy part of the choke cherry fruit is edible, while the seeds, twigs, and leaves of the plant are considered poisonous. But then again, why would you want to eat the twigs, leaves, and seeds?

    a bucket of chokecherries
    A good day of picking chokecherries...
    • It is generally recommended to let the juice drip into a bowl, undisturbed, for a few hours instead of squeezing or pressing on the fruit. This may cause the chokecherry jam or jelly to be cloudy. This is totally up to you and how much patience you have!
    • Unripe chokecherries are red and are higher in natural pectin. This means they may help your jam jell better. Having a small percentage of unripe chokecherries as part of your recipe may not be a horrible idea.
    • Chokecherries can be frozen until you are ready to use them. After washing the chokecherries and removing the earwigs, spiders, and other debris, measure and portion them into freezer bags. Freeze until needed.

    🍲 Related Recipes

    • Wild Dandelion Jelly
    • Pear Apple Preserves
    • Rhubarb Strawberry Jam Recipe (no pectin)
    • Welcome Fall Crabapple Jam (no pectin)

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, 4294 TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    chokecherry jelly in a jar

    Backwoods Chokecherry Jelly

    Delicious Chokecherry Jelly, with just the right balance of sweet and tart flavor.
    4.86 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Condiments, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 96 servings
    Calories: 50kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • 6 cups chokecherries
    • 6 cups water
    • 4½ tablespoon RealFruit Classic Pectin
    • 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon butter (optional)
    • 4 cups sugar

    Instructions

    • Prepare a water bath canner, by completely covering six 8-ounce jars with water and boiling them for 10 minutes. Keep the jars in the hot water until needed. The lids can be added a few minutes before you need them.
    • Add cleaned chokecherries to a six-quart Dutch oven. Cover with six cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Smash the fruit to release the juice and strain the liquid through a fine sieve. You should have approximately 3½ cups of juice. If not, add enough water to equal 3½ cups.
    • Clean the Dutch oven and return to the stove. Pour strained chokecherry juice back into the pot. Turn the heat to medium. Whisk in RealFruit Classic Pectin until dissolved. Add lemon juice, and butter, if using. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, over high heat, whisking constantly.
    • Next, add sugar, while you whisk quickly to dissolve it. Return mixture to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one additional minute, as you continue to whisk the mixture. Remove from heat and skim off the foam, if necessary. Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ½" headspace. Wipe the glass jar rims with a damp cloth and hand-tighten the lids.
    • Add jars to the canner filled with water and make sure the water level is at least a few inches over the jars. Process the filled jars in boiling water, for a minimum of 10 minutes, adding 5 additional minutes for every 1000'-3000' above sea level.

    Notes

    • It is generally recommended to let the juice drip into a bowl, undisturbed, for a few hours instead of squeezing or pressing on the fruit. This may cause the jelly to be cloudy. This is totally up to you and how much patience you have!
    • Unripe chokecherries are red and are higher in pectin. This means they may help your jam jell better. Having a small percentage of unripe chokecherries as part of your recipe may not be a horrible idea.
    • Chokecherries can be frozen until you are ready to use them. After washing the chokecherries and removing the earwigs, spiders, and other debris, measure and portion them into freezer bags. Freeze until needed.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 96Tablespoons | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

    More Jam and Preserves Recipes

    • Canning Apple Pie Filling
    • Wild Huckleberry Jam Recipe
    • Easy Peach Preserves and Jam without pectin
    • Mulberry Jam and Other Mulberry Recipes

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    1. rebecca says

      December 15, 2022 at 1:28 pm

      I'm so excited to make this. You've explained it all so well (I'm new to water bath canning and have been intimidated to try). My question is whether I can double the recipe. I have TONS of chokecherries from the fall. Or should I do this single recipe twice?

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        December 15, 2022 at 2:04 pm

        Hi Rebecca, I always recommend doing a single batch first, just to make sure you don't need to make any adjustments. Good luck!

        Reply
        • rebecca clarke says

          December 18, 2022 at 7:39 pm

          Thanks so much for your response! I don’t know anyone who does canning so I have one more question. Can you sterilize your jars I. The same water/pot you do the canning in? Sorry if that’s a stupid question I just cannot find anything on the internet that says yes or no!

          Reply
          • Hilda Sterner says

            December 18, 2022 at 7:45 pm

            Hi Rebecca, that's not a dumb question if you've never canned before. Sometimes I forget that not everything is obvious! So yes, start by placing the jars in cold water and bring to a boil. Ten minutes should be enough.When you're ready to fill the hot jars with the jam or jelly, pull the jars out of the water, then fill leaving about 1/4" space at the top. Then wipe the rims. Add the lids and bands in the hot water for like 30 seconds or so then remove and tighten on the jars (but not too tight so the air bubbles can escape). Put the jas carefully back into the same pot and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes, longer if you're at a higher elevation. When you pull the jars out of the water wait for them to seal (you should hear a pop as they seal). If any don't seal you can store them in the fridge. I hope that helps!

            Reply
    2. Kelly Methey says

      May 21, 2022 at 7:41 am

      5 stars
      This is not only delicious but has a very beautiful color. Your picture should have everyone’s mouths watering! Another very interesting and delectable recipe, Hilda!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        May 21, 2022 at 2:55 pm

        ❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
    3. Teresa Evers says

      August 16, 2021 at 7:16 pm

      5 stars
      Hilda’s Chokecherry jelly is amazing. I was lucky enough to try her new recipe. Being a local Montana resident, there are an abundance of Chokecherries around me. Her recipe is simple, it doesn’t require many ingredients. The jelly has a unique flavor, not to sweet, just right. I love it on sourdough toast with butter in the morning. This is definitely a five star rating.

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        August 16, 2021 at 8:35 pm

        Thank you, Teresa! So glad you're enjoying it. My favorite way to eat it is over toasted sourdough too... but with cream cheese, yum!

        Reply
        • nancy leavitt says

          August 28, 2021 at 9:37 am

          Sounds perfect Hilda! Our chokecherries are almost ripe here in New Brunswick, Canada

          Reply
          • Hilda Sterner says

            August 28, 2021 at 12:31 pm

            Yes! It's a great crop here in Montana this year! Good luck!

            Reply

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