Thick cherry jam with pits is the most delicious
Cherry jam is one of the most delicious! Fragrant, translucent ruby red, sweet but not cloying. How delicious it is with a freshly baked loaf of bread! We offer you the simplest recipe for making cherry jam for the winter, which requires no water or long simmering. Cherries are used with pits, so preparation time is minimal, and the jam itself is thick and full of whole berries.
Ingredients:
- cherries – 2 l;
- granulated sugar – 2-2.5 l.
How to make cherry jam for the winter
It's best to start making cherry jam immediately after picking or purchasing the cherries, as they will gradually spoil if left in the refrigerator for a long time. Sort the cherries, discarding any bruised or rotten ones. Place the selected cherries in a deep bowl and cover with water. Rinse thoroughly, drain in a colander, and dry completely on a clean towel.
Carefully remove the stems. Place the cherries in a deep, heat-resistant jam-making container, alternating layers of them with sugar. Let the bowl or saucepan with the cherries and sugar sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or until the cherry juices have released.
It's recommended to cover the future jam with a cloth napkin or cheesecloth. There's no need to stir the berries while they're "resting." Simply rock the bowl occasionally from side to side to help the sugar dissolve more evenly.
This is approximately what the cherries will look like after the specified time: the sugar will become wet, partially mixed with the cherry juice, and the appearance of the berries will remain almost unchanged.
Place the pan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, bring the jam to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. It's recommended to stir the mixture with a wooden or silicone spatula, rather than a metal spoon, to prevent the syrup from crystallizing during storage.
Let the jam rest for 10-12 hours in a container covered with a cloth. Then repeat the process: bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let the jam sit for another 10-12 hours.
Repeat this process until the syrup has boiled down to the desired consistency. Stir the jam until all the sugar has dissolved. During the cooking process, it's recommended to skim off any foam from the surface of the syrup or scrape it off the sides of the bowl once the jam has settled after boiling.
For the final simmer, boil the jam over medium heat for 5-7 minutes. Test for doneness by dropping a drop of syrup onto a saucer previously chilled in the freezer. If the drop doesn't run, the jam is ready to jar.
The cherries in the finished jam will remain whole, but they will shrink, become denser, and become very sweet as they soak in the sugar syrup. The syrup will be clear, thick, aromatic, and delicious.
Place the jam into sterile, dry jars and seal with clean lids. Once completely cooled (no need to wrap), store in a pantry or cellar for long-term storage until winter.
Since the jam is made from whole berries, with seeds, it is recommended to store it for no more than a year.
Serve this aromatic treat with tea, and the syrup can be used to make a soak for confectionery, or pour it over pancakes, fritters, and syrniki.
Enjoy your tea!