Perfect Sour Cherry Jam Recipe

Directions

Combine the sugar and pectin in a medium bowl. Pit the cherries and transfer them to the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse the cherries 8 to 10 times, until they are coarsely chopped but not pureed. Measure 4 cups of the cherry puree and transfer to a large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cherry pieces have softened and are beginning to break down, about 10 minutes. Stir the calcium water and the butter into the pot with the cherries and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the sugar-pectin mixture and return the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute. Remove the pot from the heat and skim any foam from the surface of the jam with a cold metal spoon. Ladle the jam into hot sterilized jars and process them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.