Chocolate-Cherry Jam ~ Valentine's Day Canning and Gifting ~ Homemade Jam

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey provides natural sweetness with fewer calories.

pectin

💰Cheaper: cornstarch

Cornstarch is a common thickener that can lower costs.

cocoa powder

💰Cheaper: carob powder

Carob powder is a less expensive alternative to cocoa.

vanilla extract

💰Cheaper: vanilla essence

Vanilla essence is a cost-effective substitute for pure extract.

Measure 6 cups of cherries before chopping them coarsely.

If using frozen cherries, no need to defrost; pulse in a food processor to coarsely chop.

Add 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice to the chopped cherries.

Add 6 tablespoons of pectin to the cherry mixture.

Turn the heat on to high and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

While waiting for the boil, prepare canning jars and canner.

Once boiling, add 6 cups of sugar and 2/3 cup of cocoa powder that have been whisked together.

Stir the mixture well and bring it back to a full rolling boil, letting it boil hard for 1 minute.

After boiling for 1 minute, turn off the heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of cremed cacao, if desired.

Prepare jars by washing them; no need to pre-sterilize if processing for 10 minutes or more.

Ladle the jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Use a debubbling tool to remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace if necessary.

Clean the rims of the jars with a paper towel dipped in white vinegar.

Add lids and rings to the jars, tightening them fingertip tight.

Process jars in a canner for 10 minutes, ensuring water covers jars by at least an inch if water bath canning.

For steam canning, ensure you are in the green zone before starting processing time and adjust heat to maintain it.

After processing, let jars sit in the canner for another 5 minutes before removing.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: