Cherry-Almond Jam is a low-sugar or low-honey cooked jam made with Pomona’s Universal Pectin using the juice and the pulp of cherries, with a touch of almond extract. Delicious! Pomona’s Pectin contains no sugar or preservatives and jells reliably with low amounts of any sweetener.
Notes
Pulpy Cherry Juice:
3 pounds cherries (to make 4 cups pulpy juice)
½ cup water Wash, remove stems, and mash cherries. Bring cherries and water to a boil in a sauce pan then simmer covered on low for 10 minutes. Strain out seeds and skins with a Foley mill.
3 pounds cherries (to make 4 cups pulpy juice)
½ cup water Wash, remove stems, and mash cherries. Bring cherries and water to a boil in a sauce pan then simmer covered on low for 10 minutes. Strain out seeds and skins with a Foley mill.
Servings 5 cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups pulpy cherry juice see note BEFORE beginning
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
- ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin mixed with sweetener
Instructions
- Before you begin, prepare calcium water. To do this, combine ½ teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with ½ cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.Extra calcium water should be stored in the refrigerator for future use.
- Wash jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover, and keep jars in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan; cover and heat to a low boil. Turn off heat and keep lids in hot water until ready to use.
- Measure fruit and spices into saucepan.
- Add calcium water and lemon juice and mix well.
- Measure sugar into a bowl. Thoroughly mix pectin powder into sugar. Set aside.
- Bring fruit mixture to a full boil. Add pectin-sweetener mixture, stirring vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.
- Fill hot jars to ¼” of top. Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids. Put filled jars in boiling water to cover. Boil 10 minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level). Remove from water. Let jars cool. Check seals; lids should be sucked down. Eat within 1 year. Lasts 3 weeks once opened.
Tiffany Dunham
Can I safely skip the food mill part and just leave the cherry skins on?
Shelby Collings
Yes, that should be just fine. You may need to decrease the pectin by 1/2-1 teaspoon.
Teresa Cowell
Can I used tart cherries for this recipe?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Terry Lada
I’m looking for a recipe to use with tart cherries. My grandchildren are in love with a cherry fruit spread that I found. Its not really sweet. We regularly make blueberry jam together and they want to try cherry. Will this one work? I’ve just ordered my pectin and am heading out to pick cherries tomorrow.
Shelby Collings
Yes, this should work just fine!
Martha
Would substitution of raw stevia for sugar be same or less?
Shelby Collings
You will want to check on the conversion for that product specifically.
Martha
I just got 2.28lbs of sweet cherries with intent to make jam. It’s gonna be a bit of a stretch, but if I used honey instead of sugar, how much would I use? Start with a cup??
Shelby Collings
You will want to use half of the called for amount of sugar…so if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, you will use 1/2 cup of honey (or maple syrup).
Carrie Butler
Can frozennsweet cherries be used in this recipe?
Shelby Collings
Yes, they sure can! They will just need to be thawed before you mash and measure them.
Nicky
My jam is not setting up. I followed the recipe step by step. Any suggestions?
Shelby Collings
Have you looked over our troubleshooting page? https://pomonapectin.com/jell/
Barbara
Can I skip the cinnamon and the almond extract and just add Amaretto liqueur?
Shelby Collings
You sure can! You may add up to 1/4 cup of amaretto liqueur to every 4 cups recipe.
Happy jamming!
Alison Carter-Lazalde
I’d like to make a pure cherry jam. If I leave out the almond extract and cinnamon, will this still work?
Shelby Collings
It sure will!
Laci Brinn
Can you use vanilla extract instead of almond?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Jennifer
If I wanted to add cocoa powder to this recipe to make a chocolate-almond-cherry jam… what quantity would you recommend?
Shelby Collings
Yum! We would actually suggest using our Cherry Chocolate Preserve recipe, HERE, and omit the cinnamon and cayenne. Then you can add the 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Anna
I’d prefer a coarser texture. Can I just use chopped or smashed cherries as in the Cherry Habanero Jam?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
David
Not sure which “note” you are referencing with the pulpy cherry juice ingredient. Can it not be non-pulpy juice?
Shelby Collings
Hello David,
If you choose to use non-pulpy juice, you will need to increase the pectin and calcium water.
The “note” is at the top of the recipe, just below the printer button.
Happy jamming!