Homemade Cherry Jam Recipe

Looking for a great recipe to enjoy one of the summer's most delightful fruits? In moderation, this cherry jam lets you enjoy cherries all year round.

Written and verified by the nutritionist Anna Vilarrasa.

Last update: 27 May, 2022

When you see this beautiful fruit in spring farmers’ markets, it’s a great time to make homemade cherry jam. It’s great to sweeten desserts, breakfasts, or snacks for the whole family.

Recipe to make homemade cherry jam

The best part about this recipe is that it’s very easy to make. To prepare any kind of homemade jam, all you need are sugar, lemon, and your favorite fruit.

In addition, it only needs a little time to cook, stirring so it doesn’t stick, and patience to remove the pits and stems. It’s definitely worth the effort, and the result is always delicious.

You can use it to make a classic breakfast and spread it on buttered toast. Also, they add a touch of sweetness to yogurt or a touch of fruit to a chia pudding. Also, you can use it to fill cookies or any type of cake.

Homemade cherry jam

Here’s the basic recipe for a medium amount of cherries. Since it preserves well, you can make lots of it. If you have lots of other fruits, you can make different types of jams as well.

Ingredients needed

• 500 grams of fresh cherries
• 250 grams of sugar
• 1/2 lemon

Step by step instructions

• Before starting, prepare a bowl to pit the cherries. This way, you can collect all of their juices and not waste any.
• Once pitted, weigh the cherries to accurately calculate the amount of sugar you’ll need. You need half the weight of the fruit, so if you have 400 grams of cherries, use 200 grams of sugar.
• Then, add the lemon juice and the sugar on top of the cherries, pour it into the bowl with the juice and stir well so that all of the ingredients combine. Cover and let stand for about 1 hour.
• Put the mixture in a saucepan and cook over high heat until it starts to boil. Then, lower it to low heat and continue cooking for 1/2 hour. You need to stir it every once in a while with a silicone spatula so that the sugar doesn’t stick.
• Once this time has passed, mash the cherry jam. The final texture depends on what you prefer. You can make it smooth or leave some whole pieces of fruit.
• To check if it’s ready, put a little bit on a plate and pick it up with your fingers. If a thread forms between them when you pull them apart, it’s ready. Then, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
• Although it may seem like the texture is liquid, over time it will get thicker.
• To store it safely, you need to sterilize the jars. You can do this by immersing the containers in boiling water for 10 minutes. After, you need to keep them warm until you use them.
• Fill the jars with the jam while it’s still hot, but leave about half an inch of space at the top. Cover it and return it to the pot with water. Then, let it simmer for another 30 minutes to eliminate any pathogens.

If you prefer a less sweet option, you can also prepare jams without sugar or with other sweeteners, like one with red berries.

The ideal cookies to go with cherry jam

With this recipe, we’ll show you some cookies with jam in the center that are a perfect companion for a cup of tea or coffee. You can also have them as a dessert.

Ingredients needed for a pound of dough

• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• The zest of 1 lemon
• Milk
• Homemade cherry jam

Steps to make them

• First, separate the whites and the yolks from the cooked eggs. Pass the yolks through a sieve or fine strainer.
• Next, make a volcano with flour and place the yolks in the center. Then, add the butter cut into pieces, the sugar, the vanilla and the lemon.
• Mix well until it forms a homogenous paste and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.
• Flour a work surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Ideally, it should be about 1/4 inch thick. Then, shape the cookies with a 2-inch round cookie cutter.
• You need to make twice as many circles as cookies that you want, since two circles make one cookie. With a smaller cutter, about half an inch in diameter, make a hole in the center of half of the cookies.
• Then, cover a baking tray with parchment paper and place the pieces without a hole. Then, add the cookies with the hole on top and paint the cookies with a little milk to obtain a brighter result.
• Fill the hole with a teaspoon of cherry jam.
• Finally, bake them in a hot oven at 325 for about 12-15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Savor this fruit all year round with cherry jam

To prepare homemade cherry jam, it’s best to take advantage of its optimal season. In this case, between the months of May and July. This way, the fruits taste their best and the result is truly exceptional.

When buying, it’s best to choose those with smooth and shiny skin, without bumps or stains. Those that are dark in color are usually sweeter, but size doesn’t seem to matter in terms of flavor or sweetness.

Cherries contain little pectin, so the result is usually a little lighter than other jams. If you want it to be denser, you can add a gelling agent, like gelatin or powdered pectin.

All foods that you make and package at home, such as jams, need to stay in a dark, cool and dry place. The best temperature is between 50 and 70 degrees. 

Once opened, you can keep them in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Long periods of time can cause it to lose nutrients, and it will also change in smell, taste, and texture. However, it’s still safe if the jar remains in tact and doesn’t show signs of contamination from mold or yeast.