Table of Contents
Homemade Cherry Jam featuring whole cherry and sugar in the raw is so naturally yummy and easy to make. Use a tiny bit of grass-fed beef gelatin or a small dried apple to thicken the fruit jam. It is so quick and straightforward to make too. Perfectly to go with a slice of toast, or make super tasty Jam Filled Butter Cookies.
Ingredients for Homemade Cherry Jam
For cherries, while you can either use frozen or fresh cherries, it is easier to use the amazing organic dark sweet cherries coming as frozen and pitted.
Apple is rich in pectin and helps to bind and thicken the jam naturally. It also enhances the flavor at the same time. Fuji apples or golden delicious are among the best suitable apples.
If you decide to make a vegan Cherry Jam by skipping the beef gelatin, make sure you use semi-dried fuji or golden delicious apple. The fresh ones contain too much liquid which might make the jam a bit too watery.
For sugar, turbinado sugar, also known as “sugar in the raw” is my primary go-to sugar. It has a pleasant, rich flavor, which is one secret for this super yummy soft chocolate chip cookie.
How to make cherry jam quick, easy, healthy, and yummy?
Combine cherry, apple, and sugar and cook on medium heat
Turn the heat to medium, and combine frozen pitted cherry and sugar in a frying pan. If you use a dried apple, add the peeled sliced apples too. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 7 minutes.
This hard anodized fry pan holds up heat very well and has a superb non-stick function, which works great for making jam. Mix and stir from time to time to make sure they are cooked evenly.
After 7 minutes, the sugar should be melted and the whole thing is bubbling. Turn off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature.
The next step is to chop the cooked & softened cherries
If you like the cherry jam containing bits of cherries as I do, pick only the cherries and apple slices (if you use them) and add them to a food processor. Use pulsing mode to coarsely chop the whole thing into pieces.
Or on the other hand, if you like the cherry jam to be super smooth, then add the whole thing including the juice from the pan to a blender and blend into a smoothie.
Add the cherries pieces or smoothie back to the frying pan.
Last but not least is to wrap the whole thing into a wholesome Cherry Jam
If you didn’t use the semi-dried apple or if the jam still appears to be a little watery, sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly on the top. Turn the heat to medium and cook for additional seven (7) minutes or so. Use a silicone spatula to continuously mix and fold the blend until it bubbles and thickens.
Turn off the heat, wait for the cherry jam to cool to room temperature, and then store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
All done! Enjoy a super yummy and healthy Homemade Cherry Jam.
Like homemade wholesome yummy food? Make sure you check out these yummy and healthy homemade from-scratch recipes:
Homemade Cherry Jam Recipe {Vegan Adaptable}
Homemade Cherry Jam featuring cherries and turbinado sugar is so yummy, healthy, and quick & easy to make.
Ingredients
- 520 g frozen cherries, about 4 cup cherries, pitted, organic dark sweet cherries, see notes
- 100 g turbinado sugar, also known as "sugar in the raw"
- 1 tsp grass-fed beef gelatin powder or a small dried apple, see notes.
Instructions
- Turn the heat to medium, and combine frozen pitted cherry and sugar in a frying pan.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 7 minutes, or till it reaches a boil and the whole thing is bubbling.
- Turn off the heat. Remove the lid, use a silicone spatula to scrape the cherry juice off the edge of the pan and add it to the middle of the cherry mixture.
- Let it cool down a little bit and then pick up only the cherries and add them to a mini food processor. Use the pulsing mode to coarsely chop the cherries. I like my cherry jam to have bits of cherries.
- If you like smooth cherry jam, add the cherries along with the juice into a blender. Blend on high speed and turn the mixture into a smooth cherry smoothie.
- Add the cherry back to the pan and sprinkle the gelatin powder on the top and then fold evenly into the mixture using the silicone spatula.
- Turn the heat to medium and cook for additional 7 minutes, or till the whole thing is bubbling, rising and the color becomes darker as the sugar starts to burn.
- Turn off the heat. Wait for the Cherry Jam to cool to room temperature and then store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
- Enjoy a super healthy and yummy homemade cherry jam.
Notes
- Organic frozen pitted cherries are excellent to make this cherry jam. Not only you can get quality frozen cherries such as organic dark sweet cherries at a reasonable price. They are also typically pitted, saving you the time to remove the seeds, and they are available all year round.
- This homemade cherry jam is perfect to make dishes such as Jam Filled Butter Cookies or fruit pastry fillings.
- Apple is rich in pectin, and semi-dried fuji and golden delicious apples are especially so. If you use semi-dried fuji or golden delicious apples, you may not need to add beef gelatin powder, making this a vegan Cherry Jam. Keep in mind you have to use semi-dried apples, the fresh apple contains too much water which will make the jam watery.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount of commission from the qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 60Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g
Nutrition calculation is provided by Nutritionix to the best knowledge per ingredients description and isn't always accurate.
