I love to can and I love cherries so it was only natural for me to combine these two loves and make some cherry jam. But, not just plain ordinary cherry jam but Cherry Amaretto Jam. To me, it has so much more flavor and makes it taste more "grown-up". :-)
Even though it is only August, I am already thinking about Christmas and Christmas gifts. Today, I am making these jars up to give out at Christmas time. They make such wonderful gifts.
I was lucky to be named a "Canbassador" by the Northwest Cherry Growers and they sent me some lovely Sweet Cherries. They are big, sweet and so delicious. Naturally we ate some but still have plenty to make this lovely jam.
Please check out the Northwest Cherry Growers page. They have lots of good ideas and recipes and even printable labels. Also be sure to check out how I dehydrated some of these Ranier cherries: Dehydrating Ranier Cherries.
2 bags (16 oz.) of frozen sweet cherries
1 pkg. Sure-jell pectin
4 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. amaretto liqueur or almond liqueur
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
Prepare your jars for canning. You will need 7 half pint jars. Finely chop the cherries. Once they are chopped up into small pieces, combine the cherries, pectin, amaretto, spices and lemon juice together in a large pot. Turn the heat on to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once it is at a boil, stir in the sugar and stir well. Once the sugar is dissolved and the mixture returns to a boil, let it boil for one full minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and skim the foam off the top. Ladle the jam mixture into prepared jars and leave 1/4" headspace.
Put on the lids and place into your canning pot and water bath process them for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the jars from the water and turn the jars over for 5 minutes. After the time has elapsed, turn right side up and allow the jars to cool for 12 hours. Check to make sure all the jars have sealed. Remove the ring and store in a cool dry place.
If a jar did not seal, you can place it in the refrigerator and use within 3 weeks. Sealed jars can be stored for up to 2 years.
If you prefer your jam to be more sour than sweet than reduce the sugar to 2 cups and use the low-sugar version of pectin.
Also check out my other homemade jam recipes: Crab Apple Jelly, Corn Cob Jelly, and Coffee Jelly!
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