Preserving and Canning for Beginners by Editors of the Harvard Common Press

Author:Editors of the Harvard Common Press
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New Shoe Press
Published: 2023-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chocolate and cherries were made for each other, and this preserve is proof. The combination of the two is insanely decadent. Be sure to use high-quality cocoa powder that is unsweetened and has no other added ingredients. Spoon this preserve on top of cheesecake for a stunning—and absolutely heavenly—dessert.

METHOD: BOILING WATER BATH CANNING

PROCESSING TIME: 10 MINUTES

YIELD: 4 TO 5 HALF-PINT (235 ML) JARS

2½ pounds (1.1 kg) sweet cherries*

⅓ cup (27 g) sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup (120 ml) water

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ cup (60 ml) lemon juice

3 teaspoons (15 ml) calcium water**

1¼ cups (250 g) sugar

2½ teaspoons (7.5 g) Pomona’s pectin powder

*Not sure how much fruit to purchase? See Measuring Up!.

**For information on how to prepare calcium water, refer to here.

Rinse cherries, remove stems, and then slice in half and remove pits.

Combine cherry halves with cocoa powder and the ½ cup (120 ml) of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Measure 4 cups (946 ml) of the cooked mixture (saving any extra for another use) and return the measured quantity to the saucepan. Add cinnamon, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and calcium water. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar and pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Bring cherry mixture back to a full boil over high heat. Slowly add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve pectin while the preserves come back up to a boil. Once the mixture returns to a full boil, remove the pan from the heat.

Ladle hot preserves into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch (6 mm) of headspace.

Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, put on lids and screw bands, and tighten to fingertip tight.

Lower filled jars into water bath canner. Place lid on canner, return to a rolling boil, and process for 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude if necessary; see Adjust for Altitude!).

Remove jars with a jar lifter and allow to cool undisturbed on a clean dish towel away from any drafts for 12 to 24 hours. Confirm that jars have sealed properly. Refrigerate any jars that have not sealed and use within 2 weeks. Label the remaining jars with the recipe name and date before storing.

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