I have a freezer full of fruit from last summer that needs to be eaten before this years fruit starts coming out and I end up with more fruit than I know what to do with. I am going away next weekend with some friends and needed to make a jam or preserve to go on top of Brie. I found cherries and blueberries in there. I went with the cherries because I knew I could add in pepper and the left over Cabernet we'd had for supper the night before. I didn't want too sweet, and not too much heat from the pepper, just enough to give baked Brie a kick. My starting off point included a recipe from a friend. She also had a few other ingredients I left out to make it that much more simple.
I turned out quite well. I can't wait for Brie.
8 to 10 cups cherries
(I used bing, Queen Anne and sour)
1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar (white or cane)
1 cup Cab Sauvignon or Cab Merlot
1 to 2 tsps fresh ground pepper
Juice of one lemon (about 1/2 a cup)
2 pouches of certo
In a heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven mash the cherries.
Add the sugar into the pan and mix well. Cook for 5-10 minute to release juice from the cherries.
Add in wine, lemon juice and pepper and bring to a hard boil.
Let boil 15-20 minutes.
I took an immersion blender to my jam to make it less of a preserve and more jam.
Let cook a few more minutes.
Add in the certo and cook 5-10 more minutes until you get the desired jam consistency.
Put the jam into hot, prepared jars.
Boil in canner for 15 minute and then let sit another 5 minutes.
Allow to cool on a towel overnight.
Should be shelf stable.
It made 2 full pint jars and one half pint jar with a ramekin full for kids to eat on toast.
