This cherry jam recipe has an amazing flavor and is really easy to prepare! It only requires 3 ingredients, the pectin is optional. Serve cherry preserves with clotted cream and freshly baked sourdough bread for a delightful breakfast!
This cherry jam recipe can be prepared a few different ways based on your preference. If you don't like to use a lot of sugar, I recommend using pectin to thicken the jam.
If you like your jam sweeter, especially if you are using sour cherries, then you can make it with more sugar, which will help to thicken and sweeten the jam.
You also have the option of controlling the texture. Make it more chunky, like cherry preserves, or blend the cherries to have a smooth, jam-like consistency!
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- Cherry jam and cherry preserves are easy to prepare and very delicious!
- Homemade cherry jam can be prepared with our without pectin.
- Cherry jam can be stored for a year or longer when properly canned.
- It also makes a perfect gift for any cherry lover in your life!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cherries: Choose from fresh cherries, frozen cherries, sweet cherries, or sour cherries.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
- Lemon: One small lemon, juiced and zested. Can substitute with bottled lemon juice.
- Pectin: Pectin is optional but can be used if you prefer to make cherry preserves with less sugar or prefer a thicker jam or preserves.
🔪 Helpful Tools
- cherry pitter
- 6 quart pot for cooking the jam
- water bath canner with canning tools
- mason jars (either six 4-ounce, or three ½ pint jars)
- immersion blender
🍒 How To Make Cherry Jam
Prepare Canner (If Canning the Jam)
Wash lids and collars with hot soapy water. Fill canner with water and add mason jars. Bring to a boil and simmer on low while you prepare the jam.
Prepare Cherry Jam/Preserves
Step 1: Remove stems and use a cherry pitter to remove the pits. Slice cherries in half or quarters.
Pro Tip: If the cherries are juicy like mine were, add the pits to vodka to make moonshine, you can thank my friend, Lori, for that idea!
Step 2: Add cherries to a pot and sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 15 minutes over low to medium heat.
Step 3: If you want a smoother consistency, you can either mash the cherries with a potato masher or use an immersion blender.
Pro Tip: You can also blend the cherries before adding them to the pot.
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Step 4: If adding pectin, do so now and bring to a full rolling boil for 2 additional minutes. If you are not adding pectin, simmer the jam over low heat until it's reduced and thickened to your liking, or approximately 25 minutes.
Pro Tip: Don't overcook the jam, the mixture will thicken as it cools!
Canning Instructions
Step 1: Remove sterilized jars from water. Ladle cherry jam into sterilized mason jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe rims with a clean dishtowel or paper towel. Add lids to jars and screw collars on hand tight.
Pro Tip: This would be a good time to remove any cherry pits that made their way into the jam.
Step 2: Use a jar lifter to carefully lower the filled jars into the pot of hot water. Water level should be at least a few inches above the jars. Bring water to a rolling boil for 15 minutes, adjust time for altitude.
Pro Tip: Make sure all the jars seal before labeling them. Store in the pantry up to one year. Store unsealed jars in the refrigerator to consume first.
⛰ Adjust Processing Time For Altitude
If you live 1000 feet or higher above sea level, you need to adjust the processing time for higher altitude. Follow the times listed below.
| Altitude | Additional Processing Time |
| 1,001 — 3,000 3,001 — 6,000 6,001 — 8,000 8,001 — 10,000 | 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes |
🥖 Serving Suggestions
Cherry jam and preserves goes great on buttered toast, biscuits, or scones, but don't stop there! It can be also be added to your fall charcuterie board or served with smoked lamb shanks.
Need more ideas? Cherry jam pairs well with various cheeses, including smoked cream cheese. Another option is to spread cherry preserves over Pfannkuchen (German pancakes) or make a cherry Dutch baby, yum!
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Both cherry jam and cherry preserves contain cherries, sugar, and lemon juice. The texture is what sets these two apart. Cherry jam is blended smooth while cherry preserves is chunkier.
Cherries have low to moderate amount of pectin. The amount of pectin varies based on the variety of the cherries.
Whether you pit cherries or not prior to making cherry jam is a personal preference. If you prefer a smoother jam, you may want to pit the cherries first so that you can blend the jam before canning it.
Cherry jam can be thickened by either adding pectin, additional sugar, or increasing the cooking time.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- After years of research, Ball no longer requires their lids and collars to be heated before using them!
- This is a small batch recipe. If you have lots of cherries, you can double the recipe.
- Processed jam is good for up to a year when stored in a dark, cool location.
- If you don't process the jam, it should be stored in the fridge.
🍓Related Recipes
If you enjoy this cherry jam recipe, you'll want to check out these other related recipes!
📖 Recipe
Cherry Jam With and Without Pectin
Equipment
- 1 canner with canning tools
- 6 4-ounce mason jars (or 3 8-ounce)
- 1 6 quart pot
- 1 cherry pitter
Ingredients
- 4 cups pitted and chopped cherries
- 2 cups granulated sugar (1¼ if using pectin)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice and zest
- 2-3 tablespoon pectin (optional)
Instructions
Prepare Canner
- Wash lids and collars with hot soapy water. Fill canner with water and add mason jars. Bring to a boil and simmer on low while you prepare the jam.
Make Jam/Preserves
- Remove stems and use a cherry pitter to remove the pits. Slice cherries in half or quarters.
- Add cherries to a pot and sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 15 minutes over low to medium heat.
- If you want a smoother consistency, you can either mash the cherries with a potato masher or use an immersion blender.
- If adding pectin, do so now and bring to a full rolling boil for 2 additional minutes. If you are not adding pectin, simmer the jam over low heat until it's reduced and thickened to your liking, or approximately 25 minutes.
Canning Instructions
- Remove sterilized jars from water. Ladle cherry jam into sterilized mason jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe rims with a clean dishtowel or paper towel. Add lids to jars and screw collars on hand tight.
- Use a jar lifter to carefully lower the filled jars into the pot of hot water. Water level should be at least a few inches above the jars. Bring water to a rolling boil for 15 minutes, adjust time for altitude.
Notes
- This is a small batch recipe. If you have lots of cherries, you can double the recipe.
- Processed jam is good for up to a year when stored in a dark, cool location.
- If you don't process the jam, it should be stored in the fridge.
- If the cherries are juicy like mine were, add the pits to vodka to make moonshine, you can thank my friend, Lori, for that idea!
- You can also blend the cherries before adding them to the pot.
- Don't overcook the jam, the mixture will thicken as it cools!
- After years of research, Ball no longer requires their lids and collars to be heated before using them!
- Make sure all the jars seal before labeling them. Store in the pantry up to one year. Store unsealed jars in the refrigerator to consume first.
Christian C Bookter says
I got the cherries and pitted them, now thanks to you I found your recipe and I cannot wait to make this cherry jam. I was wondering can I freeze this instead of canning it? Tell your son to stand tall. I am a 100% disabled veteran Green Beret and I served in Viet Nam.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Christian, Thank you so much for your comment, I hope you enjoy the jam and THANK YOU for your service! God bless you!