Cherry Cinnamon Jam

These cherries were very sweet, but I had a batch of not-so sweet cherries that I made into a jam. I was inspired by Tongue in Cheek's post, except I drastically cut down on the amount of sugar used. If you've always wanted to try making your own jams and preserves, it's really very simple. You don't need to make enough to last through the winter like days of yore or whatever, just enough for you to enjoy. And you don't need to buy any special pectin or preservatives. Simmering the fruit for a long while will release its natural fruit pectin.

Cherry Cinnamon Jam
Adapted from Tongue in Cheek

For 1 small jar of jam, you'll need:
1 cup of cherries, pitted
1 heaping tblsp sugar, or 2 tblsps if you like sweeter jam
1 tsp cinnamon

Wash and pit cherries. Add 1 heaping tblsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Let the mixture sit for an hour or so to dissolve the sugar.

Add mixture to a heavy pan, I used my enameled cast iron pot for this. Turn heat to medium-high and let it gently come to a boil. Give it a quick stir and let it simmer on medium-low to low until the mixture thickens to your liking. Sporadically check up on it and give it a stir every once in a while. This should take another hour or so if you like the cherries to still remain mostly whole like this. Simmer longer if you want them more jam-like.

When the cherries are the consistency you like, spoon them hot into a jar, close the lid tightly, then flip it upside-down. The heat will cause the lid top to "pop," thus sealing the jam. Store until ready to eat.


Serve spread on toast, or however you like jam.

I made this back in June and it lasted for several months in the fridge just fine. It could probably go longer but I've eaten it all up by now. That's also why I made a small batch, just enough for eating one jar at a time.

Enjoy!