Bursting with sweetness, this jam captures the essence of sunny days and orchard-fresh flavor. It’s the perfect companion for toast, scones, cheese boards—or even as a glaze for grilled meats. Simple to make and impossible to resist, this recipe brings summer to your table, one spoonful at a time.
Ingredients:
– 4 cups pitted Rainier cherries (about 2 lbs. whole cherries)
– 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
– Zest of 1 orange (optional)
– 1½ to 2 cups sugar (adjust to preferred taste and sweetness of cherries)
– 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions:
- Wash, pit, and roughly chop the cherries.
- Zest the orange, then juice it.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine cherries, orange juice, orange zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and stir, bring mixture to a gentle boil.
- Reduce heat slightly and let it simmer, stirring frequently, for 30–45 minutes, or until thickened. It will reduce and become syrupy. If you would like the jam to be thicker you can add fruit pectin or a cornstarch slurry to thicken the jam. I ended up using a cornstarch slurry as I prefer my jam a little thicker.
- To check if the jam is done use the cold plate test: Place a plate in the freezer while the jam cooks. Drop a bit of hot jam on the cold plate—if it wrinkles when pushed, it’s ready.
- Pour hot jam into sterilized jars.
- Seal and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or water-bath process (10 minutes) for shelf-stable jars.
- ENJOY!
*If you want to add a hint of spice you can add cinnamon or cardamom for a little extra flavor. I added a about 2 Tsp of cinnamon to a batch and it was perfection!
