Tart Cherry Jam Food

OVER-THE-TOP CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, cover and process cherries in batches until finely chopped. Transfer to a Dutch oven; stir in pectin and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar; return to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir 1 minute. , Remove from heat; skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into 6 hot sterilized half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight., Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil; process for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool.

GRANDMA MONETTE'S CHERRY JAM TART

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make the filling: Combine the cherry preserves and lemon juice in a bowl, stirring to break up any clumps.
• Make the crust: Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Add the whole egg, then the vanilla. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, lemon zest, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in up to 1 tablespoon water until the dough just comes together. Wrap two-thirds of the dough in plastic wrap, then wrap the remaining one-third in plastic wrap. Refrigerate both for 30 minutes.
• Put the larger piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll it out into an 11-inch round. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and invert the dough into the prepared tart pan; peel off the other sheet of parchment paper and trim the excess dough. Spread the jam evenly on the crust. Roll out the remaining dough to about 1/4 inch thick and cut it into 1/2- to 1-inch-wide strips (10 to 14 strips). Arrange the strips in a lattice pattern on top of the filling. Beat the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush on the lattice and edge of the crust. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Photography by Steve Giralt

SOUR CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Pit fresh 3 lbs sour cherries. If working with pitted fruit, the total weight should be about 2 1/2 lbs pitted, or roughly 5 cups pitted fruit.
• Place the fruit in a heavy-bottomed jam pot along with lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Cook the cherry mixture, stirring continuously to avoid boil-overs, for about 20 minutes until the fruit has completely fallen apart.
• Add sugar. (If adding pectin, now is the time, see notes).
• Continue cooking the jam until it reaches gel stage, about 25 to 30 more minutes.
• Test for gel stage on a plate that's been placed in the freezer, or with an instant-read thermometer (220 degrees F at sea level).
• Turn off heat and ladle jam into prepared jars. De-bubble, wipe rims and adjust headspace to 1/4 inch. Store in the refrigerator for immediate use (within 1 month), or process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes for a shelf-stable jam.

CHERRY JAM TART

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, salt, and zest; pulse 2 or 3 times to mix. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, beat egg yolks with Vin Santo. With machine running, add to flour mixture; process until dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl, 5 to 6 seconds. Turn dough out onto work surface; shape into disc. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, thin the jam with hot water a teaspoon at a time, stirring until smooth; season with a dash of pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
• Remove dough from refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a circle 14 inches in diameter. Fit dough into a 12-inch fluted round tart pan with a removable bottom, pressing gently into sides and bottom. Trip excess pastry by rolling the rolling pin across top. Spread jam mixture over dough.
• Bake until filling is glossy and dough is deeply golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for several minutes. Serve warm.

PARMESAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH TOMATO-TART CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• To make the jam, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, until tender and aromatic but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato, dried cherries, water, thyme, and salt and continue cooking until the cherries are plumped and the tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool, then puree the jam in the food processor, adding a bit more water as needed to achieve a texture a bit thinner than applesauce. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Combine the flour and Parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until the cheese is finely ground and well blended with the flour. Add the butter and cream cheese and pulse just until a cohesive dough forms, scraping down the sides as needed; avoid overmixing.
• Form the dough into 24 balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and set them on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indentation (it's normal for the edges to crack a bit, but you can gently pinch together any particularly large cracks). Fill each indentation with some of the jam, about 1/2 teaspoon each.
• Bake the cookies until firm and nicely browned around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Because this dough is a bit dense, be sure the cookies are thoroughly cooked, beyond just a light golden brown. If you pull them out too soon they may still be a bit underdone in the center. You can always snag one from the tray and break it in two to check-a snack for the cook.
• Let cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Arrange the cookies on a platter for serving, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

CHERRY JAM TART

Steps:

• To make the tart dough: Cream the butter and sugar in the mixer bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the flours and salt to the bowl, and beat on low speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and a cohesive dough forms.
• Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a work surface, and knead a few times, until it comes together in a ball. Divide into two pieces-a larger piece of two-thirds of the dough, and a small piece of a third of the dough. Press both pieces into flat rectangles, and wrap them well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or for a day) before rolling; freeze for longer keeping.
• When you are ready to bake the tart, arrange a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°. Butter the bottom and sides of the baking pan. In a small bowl, cover the dried cherries with warm water (or rum or liqueur); let them soak and soften.
• Place the larger piece of dough between two sheets of parchment, and roll it out to a rectangle a bit larger than the jelly-roll pan. Peel off the top layer of parchment, and invert the dough so it lies centered in the pan, then peel off the second parchment sheet. Gently press and push the dough into the pan to form a smooth, intact crust, even on the bottom and slightly thicker against the sides of the pan. Scrape off excess dough so the crust is flush with the pan sides, and save all the scraps. (If the crust tears or is too thin in spots, patch with the extra dough.)
• For the tart filling, scrape all the cherry preserves into a bowl; drain the rehydrated cherries and stir them into the preserves. Spread all the filling in the crust, covering the bottom evenly.
• Roll the smaller piece of dough between the parchment sheets to a round or oblong sheet (about as thick as you rolled the larger piece of dough). Peel off the top layer of parchment; to make a decorative top crust you can cut out circles or other shapes with floured cookie cutters or use a pastry wheel to cut diamonds or lattice strips. If you are short on top crust dough gather and reroll all the dough scraps to make more shapes, and lay them all over the tart, in any pattern you like, with the cherry filling peeking through. Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top of the tart.
• Set the tart in the oven, and bake about 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, or until the crust is deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
• Let the tart cool completely on a wire rack. Cut in pieces of any size, and serve on individual dessert plates, or arrange the pieces on a serving platter for a buffet or picnic. Dust them with confectioners' sugar, or accompany with whipped cream, ice cream, or zabaglione.

TART CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• 1. Wash Cherries
• 2. Remove stems and pits from cherries
• 3. Chop Cherries
• 4. Place exact amount of cherries (4 Cups) into a 6 or 8 quart saucepan.
• 5. Measure exact amount of sugar into a separate bowl and set aside.
• 6. Stir 1 box of pectin into fruit, and add 1/2 tsp. of butter.
• 7. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
• 8. Stir in sugar quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• 9. Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to 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 needed. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars from canner and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.

TART RED CHERRY JAM (LESS SUGAR)

Steps:

• Start early in the day (I usually start right after breakfast.) Gather ingredients and equipment. Wash jars, lids and rings. Fill canning pot (with rack inserted,) with water to 2 inches below the top (typically should be the first ring on pot.) Place on large burner of stove (no heat yet.)
• Place jars, open end up, in large stockpot (not canner;) fill jars and stockpot with water. Cover pot with lid. Place on stove (no heat yet.) (See **NOTE.)
• **NOTE: You may sterilize jars in dishwasher that has a sterilize option, just be sure that they are scalding hot when you fill them. Also, some folks sterilize their jars in the canner. I don't because I can never get that white mineral (lime) residue off of the inside of the canner. (Everyone has their own way of doing things, so if you do things differently, and it works for you, go for it!)
• Place washed lids in small pan filled with water; place on small burner of stove (no heat yet.)
• Set up remainder of equipment by placing one unfolded dish towel on a counter or table away from drafts. Place the other dish towel, unfolded, on counter nearest stove. On the towel, place jar lifter, lid lifter or tongs, jar funnel, rings, long handled spoon, soup ladle and clean, damp dish cloth ( keep dish cloth away from area of towel where jars will sit while filling because a cold wet spot could cause a jar to break.)
• Wash cherries; place in one of the medium/large bowls. Place bowl on comfortable work surface along with remaining bowl and garbage bowl.
• Remove stems and pit the cherries. For right-handed folks, place empty bowl to the left. Pick up a cherry, remove stem and discard; squeeze cherry between left forefinger and thumb, over the empty bowl; remove pit with right hand; drop cherry in empty bowl; discard pit. Repeat until half of the cherries are pitted.
• Time to turn the heat on under the canner and the stockpot with the jars. Set heat to high. Keep an eye on them. When the pot with the jars comes to a full boil (it will usually take at least 20 minutes to come to a boil,) set timer for 10 minutes. Jars must be boiled for at least 10 minutes, then kept at a simmer until ready to fill with the jam. It will take quite a bit longer for the canner to come to a boil (be sure to have the lid on the canner.)
• While waiting for the pots to boil, continue pitting the cherries.
• When the timer goes off and the jars have boiled for 10 minutes, reduce heat to a simmer. Now turn heat on high under the small pan of water with the lids; when the water comes to a boil, lower heat to medium-low/low; allow lids to barely simmer until ready to place on filled jars.
• When canner comes to a full boil, lower heat very slightly to avoid too much evaporation and lowering of water depth in canner. Boiling water may be added to the canner if it becomes too low. Filled and sealed jars must be covered by at least one to two inches while processing.
• When cherries are all pitted, add to bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade (or a blender.) Pulse until finely chopped. You may need to do this in 2 or 3 batches.
• Pour the chopped cherries into a bowl. Use a "dry measure" cup to measure 5 cups into the dutch oven.
• Measure 3 level cups sugar into a medium bowl. From that bowl of sugar, measure out a level 1/4 cup of sugar and pour into a small bowl or cup. Add 1 package of Sure-Jell pectin for lower or no sugar recipes. Use a small spoon to mix well.
• Add the small cup of sugar mixed with the pectin to the cherries in the dutch oven. Stir until well combined. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter.
• Place bowl with remaining 2 3/4 cups sugar on counter within an arm's length of the stove. Make sure that dish cloth is still damp, but not dripping wet, and that all utensils are in place. It's showtime!
• Place pot of cherries over high heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Immediately add sugar, continuing to stir constantly; bring back to full rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Set timer for one minute.
• After boiling one minute, remove from heat. Use jar lifter to immediately remove (and drain) one jar. Set jar on dish cloth next to stove. Place funnel on jar. Ladle jam into jar, to 1/4 inch of rim. Remove funnel; place top side down on towel. Wipe rim of jar with damp cloth to remove any jam and ensure a proper seal.
• Use lid lifter or tongs to remove a lid from the small pan; place lid on filled jar; place ring on jar and tighten. Work quickly to continue filling jars before jam cools too much.
• Use potholder to remove lid from boiling canner; use jar lifter or tongs to carefully lift rack. Use jar lifter to place filled jars on rack. Carefully lower rack to bottom of the canner. Replace lid. When it begins to boil, set timer for 10 minutes.
• After jars have processed 10 minutes, shut heat off and carefully lift rack. With a dry pot holder in one hand, lift jar and place on the pot holder in your hand and move to the dish towel away from drafts. Repeat with remaining jars, leaving a good space between jars. Jars will begin to make a popping sound as they seal. Let sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours, then gently press on each lid to check for a good seal. If the lid "gives," the seal is no good and the jar must be refrigerated.
• Label jars, or use a permanent marker to write name of jam and date on lid. Store jars in a cool dark space, if possible. Refrigerate after opening.

EASY CHERRY JAM

Steps:

• Put two saucers in the freezer for testing the jam later on. Tip the cherries, sugar and lemon juice into a large, heavy-based saucepan and simmer uncovered over a medium-high heat for 35-50 mins, stirring frequently until thick and glossy.
• After 35 mins, spoon a little of the jam onto one of the chilled saucers. Leave for 1 min, press a fingertip into the jam. If it starts the wrinkle, it's ready. If it slides away, continue to boil the jam for 10 mins, then test again on the other saucer.
• Spoon the jam into sterilised jars and seal. Will keep for six months unopened (when stored in a dark, cool place), or opened in the fridge for three months.