Black Bing Cherry Preserves Food

CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Place a round wire rack in the bottom of a large stockpot. The rack should fit as snugly as possible and should stand 1/2 to 1 inch above the bottom of the pot. Stand the four jars on the rack, and add the lids; it's not necessary to add the screw bands. Fill pot with enough water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; an additional 1 to 2 inches of space should remain below the rim of the pot so the water doesn't overflow. Bring water to a simmer (180 degrees) let lids and jars simmer 10 minutes or until you're ready to fill them. Place four small plates in the freezer.
• In a medium stockpot, combine the cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice; place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in one-third of the remaining sugar, and cook, stirring, until it has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar in two more batches, stirring each batch until sugar has dissolved.
• Bring the mixture to a full boil, and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Place a candy thermometer in mixture, and cook, stirring frequently, until temperature registers 220 degrees. 30 to 40 minutes. While cooking, skim any foam that floats to the surface.
• With the temperature at 220 degrees, perform a gel test: Remove one of the plates from the freezer, and place a spoonful of the jam on it. Return the plate to freezer, and wait 1 minute. Remove plate from freezer, and gently nudge the edge of the jam with one finger. If the jam is ready, it will wrinkle slightly when pushed. If it is not ready, it will be too thin to wrinkle. If the jam does not wrinkle on the first attempt, cook 2 or 3 minutes more, and repeat the gel test.
• Once the jam has gelled properly, remove stockpot from heat. Using canning tongs, remove a jar from the simmering water, and empty the water back into the stockpot. Place the jar on a clean surface, and insert a canning funnel. Using a ladle, pour the jam through the funnel into the jar; fill to within 1/4 inch of the rim. Remove the funnel; wipe the rim with a clean damp towel. Using the tongs, lift a lid from the hot water; place lid, sealant side down, on the filled jar. Screw down the band, and tighten firmly, being careful not to force it. With the tongs, stand filled jar in simmering water. Repeat with the remaining jam and jars, making sure jars aren't touching sides of pot and are spaced 1 inch apart.
• Raise the heat to high, cover stockpot, and bring water to a boil. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer jars to a wire rack to cool completely. Store jam in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.

BC CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place cherries, apple juice, lemon juice, and pectin into a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, and mix in the sugar. Cook the jam at a rolling boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the cherry jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes, or the time as recommended by your county Extension agent.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

BLACKBERRY AND BING CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Rinse blackberries and cherries.
• Press blackberries through a sieve or a food mill to remove the seeds.
• Stem cherries and remove pits.
• Coarsely chop cherries in a food processor.
• Combine blackberries, chopped cherries, pectin, lemon juice and butter in large stockpot.
• Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add sugar all at once and return to a boil.
• Bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down and boil 1 minute.
• Remove from heat and add almond extract.
• Let sit for 5 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
• Ladle into sterilized jars using the USDA guidelines for water bath canning leaving a 1/4" headspace.
• Wipe rims and place lids and screw rings on jars.
• Place jars in water bath canner and make sure you have at least 1-2 inches of water covering the jars.
• Place lid on pot and bring to a hard rolling boil (do not remove lid).
• Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat, remove lid from pot and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove jars from pot and set aside to seal and cool.

BLACK BING CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Combine the cherries and sugar in a large, heavy, shallow, non-reactive saucepan.
• Set aside to plump, several hours or as long as overnight.
• Add the water to the cherries and bring to a boil.
• Cook for 5 minutes; then add the lemon juice and boil rather fast until the juice has thickened like jelly and a candy thermometer reads 221*F.
• Remove pan from heat and allow the preserves to sit overnight, covered; refrigerate them, if you'd rather.
• The next day, reheat the preserves to the boiling point and spoon them into hot, sterilized canning jars and seal.
• Store in the refrigerator, or (better) in the freezer.

BRANDIED BLACK CHERRIES

Steps:

• Trim the stems of the cherries to within 1" of the fruit. Bring 1 cup sugar and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Blanch the cherries, a cup at a time, for 2 minutes in the simmering syrup. Remove to a platter with a slotted spoon and cool. Add remaining sugar to the syrup and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is at the boiling point. Remove from heat and cool. Spoon the cherries into sterilized preserving jars . Add the brandy to the cooled syrup, pour over the cherries and seal. Keep in a cool dry place for 4 months before using.