Cherry Blueberry Jam
Bright from cherries and earthy from blueberries, this jam is perfectly sweet and spreadable. It is the best of summer, preserved for later in the year.
Servings: 7 half pints
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet cherries, pitted and chopped
- 2 pounds blueberries, crushed
- 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons powdered fruit pectin
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Prepare a boiling water bath canner and enough jars to hold 7 half pints of jam.
- In a large, nonreactive pot, combine the prepared cherries, crushed blueberries, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice. Stir well to combine.
- Place the pot on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook at a boil for 20-25 minutes, stirring regularly, until the jam has reduced by about a third and has thickened. Here's how to test for set.
- When the jam is finished cooking, remove the pot from the stove. Take one jar from your canner. Place it on a wooden board or towel-lined countertop and fit it with a wide mouth canning funnel. Fill the jar with jam, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rim with a clean, damp cloth and fit the jar with one of your clean lids. Secure the lid in place with a ring, taking care to not overtighten.
- Return the filled jar to the canner and repeat the filling process with the remaining jars.
- Process the filled jars at a full, rolling boil for ten minutes. When the time is up, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and let the jars cool in the pot for five minutes.
- When that cooling time is up, remove the jars from the canner and set them to cool on a wooden cutting board or folded kitchen towel.
- When the jars are completely cool, remove the rings and check the seals. Sealed jars are shelf stable for at least a year. If any jars did not seal, refrigerate them and use promptly.
Notes
To quickly pit the cherries, I use this six slot pitter. I cannot recommend it highly enough.