Simple Cherry Preserves (Pits Left In)
The aroma and taste of ripe cherries will bring summer right back to you in the dead of winter. This is the easiest preserve there is — and not just quick (no pitting required!), but with minimal cooking that keeps the cherries' fresh flavor and goodness intact. A jar of this turns any tea time into a treat. It also makes gorgeous compotes and other drinks, and works beautifully in all sorts of desserts and dishes.
Cooking method
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Step 1:
If you have a cherry tree, pick your own. I had a good harvest, but the cherries don't all ripen at once, so I gathered them in batches. Luckily, these bright little beauties are in stores almost year-round, including frozen.
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Step 2:
Next comes an important step: sterilizing the jars and lids. There are several ways to do it, including boiling them in a pot for 10 minutes. It's smart to sterilize at least three jars rather than just one — just in case.
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Step 3:
Sort through the cherries and get them ready for cooking — pull off the stems and rinse them in several changes of water.
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Step 4:
Rinsed? Drain off the water, but don't fuss over getting every last drop — you want some moisture to help draw out the juice. Pour the sugar over the cherries and stir thoroughly. If the cherries are very ripe, stir gently so you don't crush them.
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Step 5:
I waited for the cherries to release their juice. After five minutes, they already looked like this.
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Step 6:
The juice really started flowing about half an hour in. If you set the pot on the stove right away and warm the cherries gently while stirring, the juice comes out faster.
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Step 7:
I didn't pre-cook them, so as soon as there was plenty of juice, I turned on the heat. Bring the contents of the pot to a boil. Cherry preserves always foam up a lot — skim it off with a spoon or spatula.
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Step 8:
Once everything cooled (since I had a small batch, each round took about 10–15 minutes), I returned the pot to the heat, simmered for 5 minutes, then set it aside again — three rounds in all. On the last round, ladle the boiling-hot preserves into jars and seal them however you prefer.
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Step 9:
As the preserves cool, they turn thick and syrupy. The aroma is incredible!
- A few more tips: for thicker preserves, add gelatin (per the package directions) or simmer longer to cook them down. You can also combine the cherries with other berries and fruit — I love pairing them with sweet cherries (which add their sweetness), apple slices, or apricot. Using frozen berries? Make a syrup ahead of time, pour it over the cherries so they thaw right in it, then proceed with the rest. If you have time, cover the cherries in sugar and cook them down in several rounds. Adjust the sugar up or down to taste.
- Note: cherries with the pits left in are meant for shorter-term storage — eat the preserves within a few months and warn anyone enjoying them to watch for the pits.
Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish
- Granulated sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Sugar - 398 kcal/100g
- Sour cherry - 52 kcal/100g
- Sweet cherry - 64 kcal/100g
- Dried cherries - 292 kcal/100g
- Canned cherry - 61 kcal/100g
