JalapeÑo Spiked Cherry Preserves Recipes

JALAPENO SPIKED CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer about 50 minutes, skimming foam from surface occasionally (I find a 1/2 tsp margarine helps prevent too much foam).
• Cool; pour into an airtight container. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Cover and chill.
• I'm going to make a double batch, when cherries are in season and freeze a batch I will post later and let you know how it freezes!
• Times are estimated.

JALAPENO SPIKED CHERRY JAM, HONEY SWEETENED

Steps:

• Make calcium water, from box of Pamona's. Put ½ tsp white calcium powder and ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with lid. Store in refrigerator between uses. Lasts a number of months. Shake well before using.
• Wash and rinse jars; place canning rack and jars in canning pot with water just to the just barely cover jar rims. Bring water to a boil, turn down heat, and let jars stand in hot water to sterilize.
• Using a food processor, process the cherries in small (4 or so) batches so they are slightly chunky, not liquid. Process the jalapenos and the lime juice to very fine.
• Combine all ingredients except for honey and pectin ingredients in a medium saucepan with a lid.
• Put 4 ½ tsp of calcium water into the saucepan. (Prepared from the box of Pamona's.).
• In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine ½ cup honey and 3 ½ tsp pectin. (From the box of Pamona's.).
• Bring ingredients in saucepan to a boil, reduce heat, stir and simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Using a rubber spatula, add honey/pectin to saucepan and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes. Return saucepan to a boil. Remove from heat, and use spatula to skim and remove excess foam.
• Bring one jar and a 2 piece lid out of the hot water. Insert funnel and fill jars to ¼" of top. Wipe any excess off the rim and screw on 2-piece lid. Place jar in water and repeat until the jam fills the last jar. Leftover jam can be put in a jar and into the fridge. Try to do this step swiftly.
• Bring water to a boil and process jars for 10-15 minutes. Remove from water carefully, and let cool.
• You may hear popping as the jars cool. Leave them be! Don't shake or jostle them for 24 hours. After that, check seals- lids should be sucked down. Any jars that didn't seal can be refrigerated.

CHERRY PRESERVES

Steps:

• Place a round wire rack in the bottom of a large stockpot. The rack should fit as snugly as possible and should stand 1/2 to 1 inch above the bottom of the pot. Stand the four jars on the rack, and add the lids; it's not necessary to add the screw bands. Fill pot with enough water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; an additional 1 to 2 inches of space should remain below the rim of the pot so the water doesn't overflow. Bring water to a simmer (180 degrees) let lids and jars simmer 10 minutes or until you're ready to fill them. Place four small plates in the freezer.
• In a medium stockpot, combine the cherries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice; place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar has dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in one-third of the remaining sugar, and cook, stirring, until it has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar in two more batches, stirring each batch until sugar has dissolved.
• Bring the mixture to a full boil, and cook, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Place a candy thermometer in mixture, and cook, stirring frequently, until temperature registers 220 degrees. 30 to 40 minutes. While cooking, skim any foam that floats to the surface.
• With the temperature at 220 degrees, perform a gel test: Remove one of the plates from the freezer, and place a spoonful of the jam on it. Return the plate to freezer, and wait 1 minute. Remove plate from freezer, and gently nudge the edge of the jam with one finger. If the jam is ready, it will wrinkle slightly when pushed. If it is not ready, it will be too thin to wrinkle. If the jam does not wrinkle on the first attempt, cook 2 or 3 minutes more, and repeat the gel test.
• Once the jam has gelled properly, remove stockpot from heat. Using canning tongs, remove a jar from the simmering water, and empty the water back into the stockpot. Place the jar on a clean surface, and insert a canning funnel. Using a ladle, pour the jam through the funnel into the jar; fill to within 1/4 inch of the rim. Remove the funnel; wipe the rim with a clean damp towel. Using the tongs, lift a lid from the hot water; place lid, sealant side down, on the filled jar. Screw down the band, and tighten firmly, being careful not to force it. With the tongs, stand filled jar in simmering water. Repeat with the remaining jam and jars, making sure jars aren't touching sides of pot and are spaced 1 inch apart.
• Raise the heat to high, cover stockpot, and bring water to a boil. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer jars to a wire rack to cool completely. Store jam in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.