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Cherry Jam with Pits
Instructions
I get the ingredients ready for the cherry jam with pits.
It is best to start with the syrup. In a tall saucepan (foam will rise as it heats), combine the sugar with the water. Boil the syrup for about 5 minutes, so that it is not too watery and has thickened a little.
Put the cherries in a stainless-steel pot or a special jam basin. Pour the boiling syrup over them.
Let the berries stand like this for 5 minutes.
Then, over moderate heat, start cooking the jam – for 5 minutes from the moment it comes to the boil. As foam forms, skim it off with a spoon or a slotted skimmer.
Set the pot aside and let the mixture cool for 2 hours. In that time the cherries will not only cool down – their skins will wrinkle a little and become able to absorb the syrup.
Put the jam back on the heat and boil it for another 5 minutes. The berries will start to take on transparency.
Cool the jam again for 2 hours. More and more of the fruit will turn clear and amber.
When you have a spare moment, boil the lids and sterilise the jars. You can do this in the microwave on maximum power for 3 minutes, having poured a little water into the bottom of the jars.
It only remains to boil the cherries one last time for 5 minutes, after which I stand the glass jars on a towel. I fill them with jam.
After tightening the lid, I turn the jar upside down and leave it to cool that way.I keep cherry jam with pits for no more than a year, in a dark cupboard in the cellar or even in the flat. The cooled syrup thickens around the berries and makes the preserve more viscous.
Tips
- 1
Three boils of 5 minutes – the "secret" to transparency. In a single boil the berry will not have time to "take up" the syrup. Three times over gives you berry-to-berry jam.
- 2
A 2-hour rest – the "secret" to the shape. Between boils the skins of the berries wrinkle and absorb the syrup, so the berries stay whole.
- 3
A tall saucepan for the syrup – protection against foam. The syrup foams up vigorously. A shallow pan will boil over.
- 4
Storage of up to 1 year – with the pit in. Without the pit it will keep for 2 years; with the pit, a year at most. The same principle applies to other kinds of cherry jam.
FAQ
Which cherries should I choose? +
Ideally, firm, meaty varieties (Bull's Heart, Regina, Valery Chkalov) – the berries hold their shape well. Alternatives: yellow cherries (Drogana Yellow) make an amber jam, while pink ones (Napoleon) are a compromise. Fresh cherries should be firm, glossy and free of dents. A size of 2.5–3 cm is best (plenty of flesh). Not suitable: soft, overripe berries (they fall apart during cooking) and underripe ones (sour and without aroma). Frozen cherries are the "budget" option – defrost them fully and drain off the juice. For a "premium" version, use farm-grown southern cherries (Krasnodar region, Crimea). The seed brands Gavrish and Poisk are reliable ones. Leave the pits in as the recipe says – they help the berries keep their shape. Remove the stalks.
What can I use instead of sugar? +
Alternatives: brown cane sugar (a caramel note), fructose (400 g for a "diabetic" version, sweeter than ordinary sugar), or honey (200 g plus 200 g of sugar – do not boil for more than 5 minutes, or it loses its beneficial properties). Do not use: aspartame-based sweeteners (they turn bitter when heated) or icing sugar (it dissolves unevenly). The brands Chaykofsky and Krasnodarsky are reliable ones. A ratio of 70% sugar to berries is best for cherries (they are milder than sour cherries). For a "less sweet" version, use 300 g, but the storage time will drop to 6 months. For a "premium" version, use demerara cane sugar (a caramel note). For the "classic" version, use ordinary white refined sugar.
How long does the jam keep? +
In sterile, sealed jars with the pit in, it keeps for up to a year (because of the hydrocyanic acid from the pits). Without the pit, it keeps for up to 2 years. Once opened, it lasts 2–3 weeks in the fridge. Label the jars with the date they were sealed. If mould or fermentation appears, do not open the jar – throw it away. Do not store it in the sun, as the colour will fade. Seal it in small 0.5-litre jars – they are easier to open. It is best used within the first 9–12 months. If it crystallises, warm it in a water bath for 10 minutes. After a year, do not eat the with-pit jam – the hydrocyanic acid builds up. It is better to finish it all within the season.
What do I serve the jam with? +
A classic with tea: with toast, pancakes, fritters and syrniki. With cottage cheese or a cottage-cheese bake. With vanilla ice cream or yoghurt. As a filling for shortbread pasties and pies. As a layer in a sponge cake. With cheeses (brie, camembert, goat's cheese) for a "French" serving. With porridge or semolina. With hot waffles and croissants. On bread and butter with cottage cheese. With cottage-cheese pancakes – a "Russian" classic. With a cup of green or black tea. With a glass of brandy for a "European" dessert. A versatile sweet jam for winter tea-drinking.
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