Sweet Cherry Jam

Tags

breakfast, cherry, cherry jam, fruit reserve, Fruits, jam, sweets

Sweet black cherry and a hint of lemon add up to a sensational spread.

One of my top favorite jams, my kids go crazy eating it, they really love it. Ah, the sweet cherry with the hint of lemon zest, gives the cherries a great depth of flavors.
There is nothing better than the fresh fruit and al natural ingredients; the sweet black cherry, sugar lemon juice and zest, plus the pectin, these make a great tasting spread on muffins or toasts.
 hint: The food processor makes chopping the cherries extra easy.
For easy Jar sterilizing, if you don’t have the canner, I usually put the jars and leds in the dish washer and set it on high heat.

Sweet Black Cherry Jam

3 lb sweet cherries, pitted, about 4 cups chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 package (1.75 oz) powdered fruit pectin
4 cups granulated sugar

Sterilize jars and lids; using a large pot for this or I usually put it in the dish washer on high heat water(that a good and decent incubator).
In a large, deep enameled or stainless steel pot, combine the finely chopped cherries(using the food processor for this), lemon juice, lemon zest. Stir in the powdered pectin until blended. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a full boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Once the mixture has returned to the full boil, continue boiling, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Remove from heat, quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.
Ladle into hot jars, wipe rims, Fit lids on jars.

Appricot Marmalade

Tags

Appetizer & Sides, apricot, Dessert, fruit reserve, gift ideas, marmalade

Isn’t it the season for apricot now?
Why not go grab some and let’s do some marmalade?
Ah summer is full of goodies, apricot, peaches, plums, cherries. And the first thing I like to do with all of these fruits is to stock up my pantry with the jam and marmalade for those days don’t get such fruits.

I have a good memories of my moms apricot jam, it was the best I ever ate. It was and still my favourite, Sweet, sour, thick, super aromatic.

The homemade marmalade makes a great gift idea along with some crackers and cream cheese, I already gave tow friends of mine a basket of these and they were very happy with it.  Even my friends whom I gifted her some marmalade, since she always use the store-bought, said the homemade is better.

When you prepare the apricot, wash it and put it on a clean towel to dry, pit and cut it into small pieces, then weigh it. the amount in this recipe will make at least 3 jars.
The most important step in making marmalade is sterilizing the jars, mom used to put the jars with their leads in a big pot of simmering water and wait 5 minutes. But my way is to put the jars in the dish washer on high heat and hot air drying, or any water in the jar can be dried with clean towel.

Apricot marmalade

1 kilo apricot (washed, dried, pitted, and cut)
5 cups sugar
drops of lemon juice

After washing the apricot, dry it with clean towel, cut it in half and take of the pits inside, then cut it to small pieces, put the apricot in a pot that size double the amount of the apricot, to leave room for the apricot when boiling. Add the sugar, cover it and leave it over night in the fridge.
The next day, stir the apricot with its own formed syrup, put the pot on medium heat and let it boil, after boiling lower the heat to low, count half an hour, check every while and stir.

You will notice a white frothy surface on the marmalade, take it off, test the thickness of the marmalade. Add a few drops of lemon juice let it simmer for more 2-3 minutes and turn off the heat, let set for 5 minutes.
Spoon the marmalade into the jars while it is hot, cover it and keep it in room temperature.