Excerpted from Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin by Allison Carroll Duffy (Fair Winds Press, June 2013)Allison says, “Chocolate and cherries were made for each other, and this preserve is proof. The combination of the two is insanely decadent. Be sure to use high-quality cocoa powder that is unsweetened and has no other added ingredients. Spoon this preserve on top of cheesecake for a stunning—and absolutely heavenly—dessert.”
Servings 5 cups
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds sweet cherries
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup lemon juice bottled
- 3 teaspoons calcium water see step #1
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 2½ 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 your jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring canner to a rolling boil, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them. (Add 1 extra minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.) Reduce heat and allow jars to remain in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan, heat to a low simmer, and hold until ready to use.
- Rinse cherries, remove stems, and then slice in half and remove pits.
- Combine cherry halves with cocoa powder and the 1/2 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
- Measure 4 cups of the cooked mixture (saving any extra for another use), and return the measured quantity to the saucepan. Add cinnamon, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and calcium water. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl, combine sugar and pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
- Bring cherry mixture back to a full boil over high heat. Slowly add pectin-sugar mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve pectin while the preserves come back up to a boil. Once the mixture returns to a full boil, remove the pan from the heat.
- Can Your Preserves: Remove jars from canner and ladle preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, put on lids and screw bands, and tighten to fingertip tight. Lower filled jars into canner, ensuring jars are not touching each other and are covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Place lid on canner, return to a rolling boil, and process for 10 minutes. (Add 1 extra minute of processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level). Turn off heat and allow canner to sit untouched for 5 minutes, then remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly.
Dave
Dutched cocoa is just cocoa that has been treated with an alkali to make it less acidic. Dutch-processed cocoa has a pH of about 7. That is, it is not acidic. It has a neutral pH. Natural cocoa, or regular cocoa, has a pH between. 5 and 6. It is low acid but it is acidic.
Recipes that say don’t use Dutch-processed cocoa are assuming you are using the more acidic natural cocoa. Using Dutched can affect the safety of the final product.
Jan Steinman
I prepped 40 pounds of cherries, then discovered (on the weekend) that I was almost out of Pomona pectin! I called around, and found nothing on my virtual island, and couldn’t justify an $80 ferry round-trip to go to the closest source of Pomona that I located.
Prior to this, I wanted some local content, so foraged for Oregon Grape berries, picking about two pounds (5% of the cherries). I put it on heat and ground it up with 25% sugar, then put it in the fridge. All this before discovering I was out of Pomona!
When I went back to the fridge, the Oregon Grape berry puree was solid, almost the consistency of cold butter! I could hold it upside-down and shake it, and it wouldn’t come out! I had discovered a natural source of pectin!
So I divided that up among four batches of cherries, added 25% of the cherry weight, and went ahead making preserves. It set up great! Unlike the one batch I made without any pectin, which was more like cherry soup than preserves.
I still prefer Pomona, especially for things with delicate flavour that the sour Oregon Grapes might spoil.
Carrie
Hi! I just made a double batch with Dutch-processed cocoa and then noticed a comment about not using it for canning. It came out so delicious the family is already clamoring for more.
So can I use the Dutch-processed or do I have to switch to regular? Thank you so much, Pomona’s is the only pectin I use!
Robin
Did you receive an answer to this?? Dutch processed is all is use!
Sarah
Just an FYI for those asking about using monkfruit or other sugar substitutes… I’ve done it many times with different types of Jam (strawberry, peach, peach-amaretto, blueberry, and strawberry-rhubarb). I have found no issues with how the Jam sets up, but have noticed a few things about the texture / color.
For freezer jams with only sugar substitute: the consistency after thawing is a little more watery, and it spoils / molds very quickly (around 7-10 days). The color and flavor seem to degrade more than sugar jams as well… flavor is not as ‘fruity’..
For processed /canned jams with only sugar substitute: Haven’t noticed the color issues with the canned recipes, but fast spoiling is still an issue (7-10 days), so I always use smaller jars ( 8 oz size) and make sure it gets eaten within a week of opening. I don’t think it tastes as fruity or fresh as long as the sugar jams either.
I’ve had the best luck using a the low-sugar recipe from the packaging with the Pomona’s pectin, and add 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp of regular sugar, and 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp of monkfruit sweetner. to each batch This seems to result in the best texture/color/flavor for me with a longer shelf-life and full fruity flavor.
Robin
Did you receive an answer to this? Dutch processed is all is use! Thanks!
Erin
Yes, did you hear back? That is also what I have. Thank you
GoldenPoppy
Can this be canned in pints?
Audrey L.
Yes, you can use pint jars, the processing time will still be 10 minutes. The jam will still need to be used within 3 weeks once opened.
Anna Chosak
I made these the other day and they are FABULOUS!!! I want to make another batch to give away as gifts but I have two questions:
1. Is there any issue with doubling the recipe?
2. Can I add some cognac to the recipe?
Thank you!
Shelby Collings
Wonderful!
1. Yes, you sure can.
2. Yes, you can add 1/4 cup of cognac per 4 cup batch.
Anna Chosak
Thank you so much for the quick reply!
David
How did it turn out with the cognac?
Gin
Can you double this recipe?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Jean
I’ve made only one batch so far, but my cherries were not cooking up. I put the hot cherries and cocoa mix in my food processor, then brought to a boil again and cooked for another 5 minutes. I am using dark Washington cherries. I have enough cherries for about 4-5 more batches, I want to know if this is normal for this type of cherries and if I should chop them up in the food processor first to start with.
I started making jams/jellies just last fall, and people RAVE about the strawberry recipe, I used Pomona’s, of course!!
April Frederick
When using frozen cherries and there’s a lot of liquid once they become unfrozen, is it still necessary to add the 1/2 water in the recipe? Thanks
Shelby Collings
Great question! No, the additional liquid from the cherries will be sufficient on their own.
Emily
I used 5-6 c of raspberries from my garden that I had previously frozen and they weighed about 2 lb.. once cooked down with the water and cocoa they came to exactly four cups. Followed everything in the recipe and the Coco and spices are both so subtle this is just a very smooth raspberry preserve, but sweeter than I usually make for my jams. I would just call this Decadent Raspberry Preserve! (Note – I only had Dutch processed Cocoa but it turned out ok, though I know this could affect the ph….)
Nancy
Can I use canning/hard pears instead of cherries?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Patti
May I use sour cherries for this recipe? All I have is sour cherries & I love the thought of combining two great foods
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Patricia Fleischmann
May I substitute sour cherries in this recipe?
Shelby Collings
You sure can!
Madonna Kirby
Can you substitute pure vanilla extract for the vanilla bea and if so, how much?
Shelby Collings
You sure can! 1 teaspoon of vanilla extra can be used instead of the vanilla beans.
Johanna
What’s the purpose of the cayenne pepper? Personally I really don’t like it and just wondered how strong it would be in this recipe?
Shelby Collings
It can easily be omitted!
Nina
I have frozen pitted cherries but I don’t know how much to put in.
Do you think 3 cups?
Shelby Collings
Allow those frozen cherries to come to room temperature and then mash. We would guess around 5-6 cups.
Bill Galbreath
I just made this and everyone swooned! I mentioned swapping for strawberries and they said, “what would you use it on?”
“Cheesecake, of course!”
Seriously, you make it easy for use to amaze our friends and family, thanks Pomona!!
Reesa
I wanted to be Wowed by this jam, but for me it was just okay. There was a considerable amount of time prepping the cheeries for not a super result. Every other recipe I have tried has been wonderful! Rhubarb Cranberry is one of our favorites.
Katie
I made this last summer and it was amazing! My only regret is not making more of it. I can’t wait to go cherry picking and make it again.
Paula C
Cherries are always more work because of all the pitting. This makes cost/benefit analysis for any kind of cherry jam or preserve a bit more rigorous. It’s got to be really worth it. Berries are wayyy easier because no pitting is needed (although if you want your end product to be seedless, there is a straining step in there).
Louise
Someone asked about subbing raspberries for the cherries (and that was my question) and you said yes, but would all the other ingredients say as well? Like the cinnamon and the cayenne pepper? Would you switch something out for something else instead? You’d still use 2 1/2 lbs of raspberries?
Shelby Collings
Hello Louise,
Yes, raspberries are a direct replacement for the cherries. All other ingredients would stay the same.
Happy jamming!
Nina
Since cherry season passed can I use frozen unsweetened cherries !
Shelby Collings
Absolutely! Simply allow to come to room temperature before mashing.
Patricia
Can frozen sweet cherries be used?
Shelby Collings
Yes, you can use frozen fruit for the cooked recipes. It’s best to use unsweetened frozen fruit. Defrost, but don’t drain, frozen fruit before using. Generally you use the liquid from the frozen fruit along with the fruit unless you notice that there is an excessive amount of liquid, in which case you would ladle off some of the excess liquid before measuring your mashed fruit. If you are going to juice the fruit for jelly, then you would use all of the liquid.
Myra Phillips
Could you substitute raspberries for the cherries? Thanks
Shelby Collings
You sure can! Happy jamming 😊
Linda Hodgell
If I use sour cherries, how much extra sugar could I add?
Shelby Collings
We would recommend following the recipe as written and then adding additional sweetener as needed, just before canning.
Cayla Millet
Can I use Maple Syrup instead of sugar?? Id so, how much??
Shelby Collings
You sure can! It measures like honey, so half the measurement of sugar.
Marcie
Can this recipe be made with monk fruit (or other alt sugar substitute) instead of sugar.
Shelby Collings
Hello Marcie,
You sure can!
Shelby Collings
We do not have a ton of information about jamming with monk fruit, xylitol or a number of other alternative sweeteners that are new-er to the market.
Shannon
I made this recipe and realized,, after the fact, the cocoa powder was processed with alkali. Is the product still safe?
Shelby Collings
Hello Shannon,
Your preserves should be just fine!