Nanking Cherry Jamjelly Food

NANKING CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Wash fresh cherries with cool tap water but do not soak; drain. Stem cherries and place in an 8- to 10-quart heavy Dutch oven or kettle. Barely cover cherries with water (about 3 1/2 cups). Bring to a simmer (do not boil as flavor will be less). Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes or until soft and the skin on the cherries starts to split, mashing cherries with a potato masher during cooking. Remove from heat.
• Place a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl. Ladle cherry mixture into the sieve. Using the back of a large spoon, press cherries through the sieve; discard seeds and cooked skins. Place the sieve or a colander lined with four layers of 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth over a large bowl. Strain cherry juice; do not squeeze cheesecloth if you want a clear jelly. Measure 3 1/2 cups liquid. Discard pulp.
• In a 4-quart heavy Dutch oven or kettle, stir together the 3 1/2 cups strained liquid and the pectin. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil (bubbles break the surface so rapidly you can't stir them down). Add sugar; stir to combine. Return to boiling; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; quickly skim off foam by gently scooping off the top with a metal spoon.
• Ladle into hot, sterilized* half-pint standard canning jars, leaving a 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims; adjust lids. Process jelly in a boiling-water bath canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boiling and keep the water boiling gently during processing).
• Remove jars; cool on wire racks. When jars are completely cool (12 to 24 hours), press the center of each lid to check the seal. If dip in lid holds, the jar is sealed. If lid bounces up and down, the jar isn't sealed. (The contents of unsealed jars can be refrigerated and used within two to three days or reprocessed within 24 hours.)

NANKING CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• Clean berries and heat to a low simmer for about 2-3 minutes (at the simmer) until they release their juice; hang over night to glean juice (I had to use my hands to squish the berries)
• Measure juice and add the same amount of sugar to a heavy pan
• Add lemon juice
• Bring to a boil, skimming any foam from the top; add pectin after it has boiled for 2 minutes and all sugar is dissolved
• Boil for one more minute; ladle into hot, clean jars and seal

NANKING CHERRY JAM/JELLY

Steps:

• To make Juice.
• Combine cherries, apple and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 35 minutes. Mash mixture occasionally while cooking.
• Strain through a cheesecloth for 8 hours for jelly, or squeeze through a colander to remove the seeds for jam.
• Bring 4 cups of juice/pulp to full rolling boil and boil for 2 minutes.
• Add 3 1/2 - 4 cups of sugar, mix well.
• Bring back to a full rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes.
• Add 1 pouch of liquid pectin and lemon juice.
• Stir for 5 minutes.
• Pour into hot sterile jars, process for 5 minutes or put into freezer when cool. This may take up to 24 hours to set.

CHERRY JELLY

Steps:

• TO MAKE JUICE:
• Select fully ripe cherries.
• Softly wash. Remove stems. Do not pit!
• In large pot, crush cherries (I use a potato masher.).
• Add 1 cup water to crushed cherries.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Strain juice through a jelly bag or cheesecloth. (I use a fine mesh "sifter" lined with a coffee filter.).
• Toss pits, pulp, and peels.
• TO MAKE JELLY:
• Measure 3 1/2 cups juice into large pot.
• Add pectin and stir.
• Place on high heat and stir constantly.
• Bring to a full rolling boil (that can't be stirred down).
• Add sugar, continue stirring and bring to a full rolling boil once more.
• Boil hard for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Skim off foam.
• Ladle into hot jelly jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Apply lids and rings.
• Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
• Note: I used 1 gallon of cherries and had a little more than 3 1/2 cups juice. Of course, it also depends on the quality of the fruit.

SURE.JELL CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Stem and pit cherries. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 4 cups of the prepared cherries into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.
• Stir pectin into fruit mixture in saucepot. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and extract. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)