When Life Gives You Cherries: Easy Cherry Jam Recipe

by Alice Currah on June 7, 2009. Updated January 10, 2010

tartcherryjam
Earlier in the week I bought a bag of red cherries. I thought I was super-mom for doing so because my kids have been asking for them constantly. For some reason when I purchased them I thought I was buying Bing Cherries. So when it came to snack time my daughters were upset at how sour they were. Oops! It would have been a shame to toss them out, so instead I made cherry jam. After looking on the internet for a recipe, I decided to make an adapted version of David Lebovitz “No-Recipe Cherry Jam“. The recipe is quite simple and I love how it turned out. The best part is how easy it was and that no pectin was required. This recipe is a keeper! Enjoy!

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Easy Cherry Jam Recipe
Adapted from David Lebovitz “No-Recipe Cherry Jam

Ingredients:
Cherries (the more tart the better), stems and pits removed, and chopped
Sugar
Lemon rind/juice
rum (optional)

cherrypits

Directions:
In a medium size pan, add chopped cherries, lemon rind, lemon juice, and rum cooking on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add approximately an equal amount of sugar (as to cherries) and reduce heat to medium. Stir everything until sugar has dissolved.

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Cook for an additional 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and enjoy!

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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }

Joan Nova June 7, 2009 at 6:30 am

A happy mistake…and perhaps one you’ll repeat. I don’t recall seeing cherry jam before and this looks delicious. P.S. Beautiful pics.

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deeba June 7, 2009 at 7:27 am

I love it…& am gonna make it soon. Just done making a Peach-Rosemary jam & we have plenty of cherries in the market now, mostly sour! This is just YUM Alice!

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Ashley June 7, 2009 at 11:14 am

Nice work! I made this several times last season using the sour cherries from a tree in our yard. I added rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries – not all at the same time but throughout the different batches. I love that it doesn’t use pectin and the results are always delicious!!

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jenn June 7, 2009 at 6:07 pm

I’ve been wanting to try and make my own jam for a long while. This is pretty easy indeed.

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Spirited Miu Flavor June 7, 2009 at 6:20 pm

What a vivid, visual post – I like your style Alice. First time here! First photo alone seemed like a ruby gem in the light…

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Nutmeg Nanny June 7, 2009 at 11:35 pm

The jam looks really tasty. My great grandmother used to make jam out of everything imaginable and cherry was my favorite that she made. I really wish some would magically appear in my kitchen for tomorrow mornings toast:)

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Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction June 8, 2009 at 9:14 am

Your jam looks beautiful! I have some cherries in my refrigerator that need to be used… I think I will give this a try – even if it’s just a small batch!

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Natasha - 5 Star Foodie June 9, 2009 at 3:05 pm

Cherry jam is my favorite – thanks for a delicious and easy recipe!

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jamieofalltrades June 10, 2009 at 7:58 pm

Beautiful photos. I wonder how this would be with Rainier cherries?

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Sarah in Washington July 9, 2009 at 7:01 pm

So, to preserve it, can I put it in sterile jars and do the water bath thing? That would work, right?

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Marisa July 15, 2009 at 2:13 pm

Sarah, this recipe would be fine to pour into jars and process in a hot water bath (a rolling boil for ten minutes) for a shelf stable jam. Just make sure not to reduce the amount of sugar, it plays a large role in preventing spoilage and keeping your jam good to eat.

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Gareth Clayton July 21, 2009 at 6:34 am

Looks great! I think I might employ this recipe in a cake I’m making soon. Dark Chocolate and sour cherrys!

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Sharla Sillitoe May 27, 2010 at 10:06 pm

I’m pretty new to BlogEngine and noticed that a number of your other readers have different avatars. Any idea as to how I can change mine? Is it possible to put a custom one?

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alice May 28, 2010 at 12:22 am

Hi Sharla,
What you want to do is make a Global Avatar. Here’s the link. http://en.gravatar.com/

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Meliny June 29, 2010 at 12:21 am

Argghh! I should have followed your recipe. I used it, but at the end, the jam didn’t seem think enough so I continued to cook and gel-test it as I have other jams. Once it cooled, I had a gob o’ Gummy Goo (all I needed was a bear-shaped mold). *sigh* I’ll never mistrust you again.

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Rose July 12, 2010 at 7:55 am

Amazing, never made jam before, but this was so easy, smelled amazing and I have no doubt that it will disappear very quickly! Thank you!

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free forum avatars August 29, 2010 at 12:22 pm

Bookmarking now cheers, a good fast read.

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Inez July 15, 2011 at 12:21 pm

Equal amount of sugar as to cherries meaning 1 cup cherries, 1cup sugar? I’ve never made jam before but I have a huge tree full of cherries and don’t want to see them go to waste. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try it.

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RICKY July 17, 2011 at 7:46 pm

I will try that recipe tomorrow. Anyone ever try microwave jam or microwave cherry crisp? Amazingly good.

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Roxanne July 18, 2011 at 8:53 pm

I have 3 cherry trees although they are not sour cherries I hope this works for them too as your jam looks really good

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Sharne January 7, 2012 at 11:59 am

I have just made your Cherry Jam and it’s now cooling of in the jars. A fantastic and easy receipe and really tasty.

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varn January 16, 2012 at 4:39 pm

You never buy cherries that are bright red they are not ripe we grow them and they should be nearly black in colour really enoying when growers hit the earkt market with unripe fruit puts people of

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Jackie June 14, 2012 at 3:59 pm

Bright red cherries are tart cherries that are wonderful for pies and jams — its not unripe — just a different kind of cherries.

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matt July 31, 2012 at 1:03 am

so anyone try with this with bing? how does it do with the sweeeter typr?

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ulrich goersdorf December 14, 2012 at 11:28 pm

G’day, i’ve just checked out your recipe. where’re the quantities? or is’t your secret recipe? not really impressed with you guys.
never mind. such is life. one can’t win’m all.

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