sour cherries

[Sniper-T]

Planted a few trees a couple years ago, and this year they're doing pretty good

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/garden/2016/0715161632a_zpsnmf3oi0u.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/garden/2016/0715161632a_zpsnmf3oi0u.jpg.html)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/garden/2016/0715161624a_zpsosbf6biz.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/garden/2016/0715161624a_zpsosbf6biz.jpg.html)

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/garden/2016/0715161632b_zpsh7kbmopm.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/garden/2016/0715161632b_zpsh7kbmopm.jpg.html)

Picked a pile, and still a bunch left:

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/garden/2016/0715161639a_zpstcnuvkwu.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/garden/2016/0715161639a_zpstcnuvkwu.jpg.html)

and a friend called me up and said hers were ready and she didn't want them...

http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/tt140/Sniper-T/garden/2016/0720161603a_zps107jus1t.jpg (http://s605.photobucket.com/user/Sniper-T/media/garden/2016/0720161603a_zps107jus1t.jpg.html)

making Jam now...

[bacpacker]

That is sweet. We had three cherry trees. Within the last 2 years they have all died. Never have figured out what happened to them. One produced heavily.

[Sniper-T]

pitted and cleaned, ended up with about 6 pound. froze some and made 3 pinrs of jam, using this recipe:

Sour Cherry Jam

Ingredients
o 6 cups pitted sour cherries
o 2.5 cups sugar

Instructions
1. Prepare a boiling water bath and 3 - 250 ml jars as per our canning basics post. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.

2. Stir together cherries and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil rapidly for 20-40 minutes (time will depend on the size of pot, etc), until it passes the wrinkle test*.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Or put into jars/tupperware and freeze for up to 6 months.

4. Turn off canner, then carefully lift jars out and set on a towel on the counter to cool. Let sit 24 hours, then check that all have sealed. Label and store in a cool place.

Notes
Wrinkle Test: Place a small plate in the freezer while you make your jam. Once you think the jam is ready place a dollop on the frozen plate and return to the freezer for two minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and push through the jam with your finger, there should be a slight film on top that wrinkles as you push. If it’s not ready yet, boil it for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

[realist]

Well between our three cherry trees we had a bumper crop of two, ya count em two whole cherries. I figure we should have enough for a pie around 2025

[Sniper-T]

don't count them out... last year I had a total of like seven! this year, decent.

[bacpacker]

Good info on the wrinkle test. never heard of that before. Otherwise, that's basically what the wife does for her blueberry jam. She's put up 10 jars so far. She made cherry jam the two years we had good harvest. That stuff is goooooood!

[Sniper-T]

I had never heard of it either, and have been hit/miss with my jams/jellyies setting in the past. used it for this and worked like a charm

[Caveman Survival]

Yeah, always wrinkle test... I didn't harvest anything this year but it is my go to method


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