An easy recipe for breakfast or a snack: the Cherry jam ! Very simple to prepare, with ripe cherries and little sugar. With or without pieces, this jam is perfect on toast, pancakes or even a savory version with cheese...
What you will like with this cherry jam
- flavors : the good taste of cherries, with a touch of vanilla…
- texture : two possible options, with or without pieces, if you choose to blend the jam at the end of cooking. Also note that the longer the cooking time, the thicker the texture of your jam will be.
- difficulty level : very simple to make, you will need a large saucepan and jam jars. Provide an immersion blender if you want to mix your cherry jam.
Details of the recipe ingredients
- cherries : take the ripe ones for a tasty jam! Mine are "burlat", but you can make jam with other varieties of cherries. Note that the more water your cherries contain, the longer it will take to cook.
- granulated sugar : it is essential for the jam to set (otherwise it is a compote!). I try not to add too much, it's up to you of course to adjust to your personal taste.
- lemon juice : it keeps the beautiful color of the cherries during cooking. It also enhances the flavor of the cherry.
- vanilla : it's totally optional, but I love to add a little touch of vanilla to the cherry jam to give it an even more gourmet side. Liquid natural extract or vanilla pod, as you prefer.
How to make cherry jam?
- Wash and pit the cherries
- We cut them in half
- In a saucepan, heat the cherries, sugar and lemon juice
- We stir, we stir
- Just before the end of cooking, add a touch of vanilla
- Pour hot cherry jam into sterilized jars
- We overturn the pots to make the air vacuum
- Turn them right side up until completely cooled.
NB: the quantities of ingredients and the detailed recipe are given to you at the bottom of the page.
My tips for a successful jam
- do not reduce the amount of sugar too much in this recipe: it allows the cherry jam to “set” properly. If you reduce the sugar, you will have to lengthen the cooking time.
- take the plate test! It is unstoppable for all your jams. Just pour a drop of your preparation on a plate taken out of the freezer then put it vertically. If the drop runs and then freezes, your jam is ready, you can stop the cooking.
- to have fewer pieces in the final jam, just pass a quick blender out of the heat. Personally, I like to keep the pieces of cherries, but everyone has their own tastes of course.
How to easily sterilize your jam jars?
It's very simple, and you don't need any specific equipment! All you need is a large saucepan. Bring the water to a boil then carefully remove the open pots and then the lids. It's necessary leave them for 10 minutes for the sterilization to be effective.
Then, remove them with pliers, so as not to burn yourself, then place them on a clean cloth to drain. All you have to do is fill them in!
Other recipes to try
If you like fruit-based recipes, I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
- Very moist cherry cake
- No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
- Pavlova with red fruits
- Mascarpone strawberry tiramisu
- Easy peach melba
- Blueberry pie
If you make this cherry jam, feel free to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your beautiful jam jars!
Quick and Easy Cherry Jam
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1,2 kg whole fresh cherries i.e. 1kg pitted
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 2 cs lemon juice
- 1 cc natural vanilla extract optional
Instructions:
- Wash and pit the cherries (with a sturdy straw press the top of the cherry so that the pit comes out from the bottom).
- Cut the cherries in half.
- In a large saucepan, add the halved cherries, powdered sugar and lemon juice.
- Heat over low-medium heat for about 35-45 minutes (depending on the water content of the fruit) stirring regularly, there should be a slight boil. Skim the surface from time to time with a slotted spoon. 5 minutes before the end of cooking, add the vanilla extract.
- Tip: to know if the jam is set, pour a drop of the preparation on a plate taken out of the freezer. Then put the plate vertically: if the drop runs slightly then freezes, it's cooked enough! Otherwise continue cooking a bit.
- Remove from the heat, if necessary, you can pass a little blender to have fewer pieces in the final jam.
- Pour the mixture into sterilized jam jars. Close the jars and invert them for 10 minutes. Turn over until the jam has completely cooled.
