Black Forest Preserves Recipes

BLACK FOREST PRESERVES

Steps:

• 1. Start by sterilizing jars and lids. This takes a little while, so I start this 1st. I place my clean jars in my canner and cover with hot water. Bring this to a boil and boil for at least 10 minutes. Remove jars when ready to use. Pour some of the boiling water from jars back into canner and keep the water boiling so you will be ready to process jars of jam. In another small pot; sterilize lids in gently boiling water.
• 2. Prepare cherries; remove stems and pit, coarsely chop. I use my food processer and it works great for chopping cherries. Just don't totally liquify the fruit. A little juicey won't hurt.
• 3. Whisk sugar and cocoa together, mixing it good. I did this in the pot I would be cooking the jam in. Add the cherries and lemon juice, stir until combined. Add 1/2 tsp butter to reduce foaming. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add the pectin and return the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute. Remove pot from heat and skim any foam from the surface with a metal spoon. Add Amaretto and stir.
• 4. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe rims of the jars, cover with lids, and screw bands on until just barely tight. Place jars on rack in pot and cover completely with boiling water. Cover pot; boil over high heat for 15 minutes. Remove jars from pot and allow them to rest undisturbed on countertop for 12 to 24 hours (do not dry jars). Check seal and band to ensure they sealed properly. Preserved jam will keep for up to one year in a cool, dark place. Unpreserved jam will keep in the refrigerator for about six months.

BLACK FOREST PRESERVES

Steps:

• Prepare canner, jars, and lids.
• In a bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir well.
• In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine cherries and lemon juice. Stir in cocoa mixture. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in Amaretto. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
• Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and add hot preserves if needed. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band tight.
• Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil, then process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars.

BLACK FOREST FUDGE

Steps:

• Line 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan with foil.
• Place first 4 ingredients in medium metal bowl.
• Mix sugar, condensed milk, cherry preserves, whipping cream, 1/3 cup water and butter in heavy medium saucepan.
• Stir over medium-low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.
• Add dried cherries.
• Attach candy thermometer to side of pan.
• Increase heat to medium-high.
• Boil until thermometer registers 230°F, stirring constantly but slowly and tilting pan if necessary to submerge bulb of thermometer, about 17 minutes.
• 2. Immediately pour hot syrup over chocolate mixture in bowl (do not scrape pan).
• Using wooden spoon, stir vigorously until chocolate melts and fudge thickens slightly but still remains glossy, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer fudge to prepared pan; smooth top.
• Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Chill until firm, about 3 hours.
• 3. Lift fudge from pan, using foil as aid.
• Fold down foil.
• Trim edges of fudge.
• Cut fudge into 24 pieces. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Refrigerate in airtight container.)
• Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.