Spiced cherry jam
During the cherry season it’s worth preserving a few jars of jam and chutney for the winter. This spiced cherry jam is super easy to make and perfect for cakes and puddings. I use less sugar than most recipes do, so the jam needs to be cooked a little bit longer in order to thicken. I added vanilla, cinnamon and mandarin to the recipe to create the flavours and fragrance of the winter festivities.
Ingredients
Method
- Put a small plate into the fridge.
- Wash and pit the cherries, then put them in a heavy-based pan.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon stick and vanilla. Squeeze the mandarin juice over the cherries, then cut it into 4 pieces and add to the pan.
- Bring to the boil and cook until the sauce thickens but it’s still runny. Remove the cinnamon stick and mandarin pieces. Lightly crush the cherries with a potato masher and simmer until the sauce has thickened and started sticking to the pan. Turn down the heat.
- Add a few drops of jam onto the chilled plate. Put it in the fridge for a minute, then run your finger through the jam – if it forms a crinkle and is tacky, it’s ready. If it’s not quite ready, cook for another couple of minutes at a time and re-test.
- Once the jam is ready, ladle it into hot, sterilized jars and place the lids on immediately.
- Allow the jars to cool, then store them in a cool, dark place. Once opened, store the jam in the fridge.