Cherry Jam

I used about a kilo of cherries, sour morellos, with a kilo of jam sugar (the sort with added pectin), about 300 to 500g of redcurrants.

Pit your cherries, this takes ages so round up some helpers and some extra cherry stoners. My kilo took about an hour on my own. Try to catch all the juice as you work. You won't succeed so make sure your apron covers all your clothing and protect precious work surfaces.

Put the stones and the redcurrants into a small pan and simmer gently until the currants have completely disintegrated. I was using frozen redcurrants from a couple of years ago so had my doubts about their pectin content, hence the pectin enhanced sugar, but if your redcurrants are fresh this should be sufficient to set the batch.

Then I think I made an error, I added half a pint (300 ml) of water. The cherries were so juicy that this seems unnecessary in hindsight. Anyway, strain your redcurrant juice into a very large pan and add the cherries, their juice and the sugar. If you were using sweet cherries you might consider adding the juice of a lemon at this point. I also cracked some cherry stones and added the kernels to the pot, about half a dozen are sufficient.

On a gentle heat stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and then allow to come to a full boil, stirring frequently. With the pectin sugar it was only necessary to boil the jam for 4 minutes before a setting point was reached, without it you will have to use your favourite method of judging when the jam is done. I usually put a little on a cold plate, wait a moment and then gently push the spot with my finger. If wrinkles form the jam is ready to pot. If you boil hard for much more than 15 minutes the flavour and texture will be damaged and you may end up with toffee.

Pot into clean warm jars. A typical jam maker's fault is demonstrated in my pots, all the fruit has floated to the surface. There are ways of avoiding this but I don't seem to be able to achieve them. It tastes good anyway. Yield would have been 4 x 340g sized jars but because of the extra water I had a small jar of cherry and redcurrant jelly left over!

This should keep well in a cool dark place if properly sealed, but will be better for refrigeration after opening.

A Stocking full of Cherries

The time has come to share a top tip with you all. Unfortunately, although I'm most taken with this idea I've only just decided to try it myself so I can't guarantee its efficaciousness only its novelty.



And the tip is this - to stop cheeky blackbirds (and starlings and sparrows and probably penguins also) from eating your cherries before they're even properly ripe and you've had a chance to pick them, enclose the fruiting branches in stockings, nicely pulled up over the immature fruit. Here is an example;



What's that I hear you say? You have no stockings? I rather think you do and you'll find them bundled up in the back of the sock drawer so let's hear no more excuses (leave the fish nets, they're not as effective and you may need them sometime).


Your reward for sacrificing your leg apparel.

I'm hoping to make cherry jam with this batch, but need to research recipes as last time the jam was nearly toffee before it set, nice in cakes but not much good for toast. In the meantime another whacky idea for the detritus, Cherry Stalk Tea or Tisane.

It's best to pick cherries with the stalk attached, use scissors to avoid tearing the bark from the branches, but of course stalks in jam are no fun. As you prepare the fruit for cooking save the stalks and then dry in a warm place, your dehydrator or solar dryer until quite brittle. Store in an airtight container. To make the tea, take a big handful of stalks and add about half a litre (slightly less than a pint) of fresh water. Bring to the boil, simmer for five minutes and then allow the stems to steep for four or five hours before straining. Drink the tea cold or warm it up again, with or without sugar.

This is supposed to be very good for the kidneys and fluid elimination but it's a nice drink that makes a change from ordinary tea or the overflavoured fruit and herb concoctions available in the shops.