Cherry Jam

Look, jam isn’t my thing. Generally I leave the jammy goodness to Jam Radish, but I felt the need to turn some of my beautiful cherries into jam and with a little help from a new product I found at the supermarket, it all went perfectly according to plan, despite my total lack of patience.

The trick is JamSetta. It’s cheap, easy to use, reduces the cooking time and gives a nice finished product. If you want to go all natural, check out Jam Radish’s recipes for the techniques to avoid the dreaded powder assister.

Ingredients

-1kg cherries, pitted and halved
-Juice of one-two lemons
-1kg sugar
-1 50g packet JamSetta

Method
-Pop the cherries and the juice of one lemon in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for around 5-7 minutes or until the cherries are tender, but not disintegrating.
-Stir in the sugar. Cook for around 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the mixture reduces by about a quarter. Add the setting powder and stir until it dissolves – about another 5-10 minutes.
-Wash your preserving jars and rinse carefully with boiling water.
-Pour the hot jam into your jars, sealing them tighly, then turning upside down for 2 minutes. Set aside until cooled and store in a cool, dark place. Don’t forget to label them or you’ll forget what they are. They should keep for up to six months.