Cherry Almond Preserves
This recipe came from my mother-in-law. It's very old-fashioned—in fact, the friend who gave it to her used to cook it up on an old wood stove.
With all the cherry orchards here in Bitterroot Valley, I make two batches of these preserves each summer. (I get the cherries from a nearby cannery by the gallons!) My family likes them on fresh bread, muffins, pancakes and even ice cream—th88 ServingsPrep: 30 min. Process: 10 min.
Ingredients
- 8 cups pitted sour cherries (about 4 pounds)
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 10 cups sugar
- 2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid fruit pectin
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Directions
- In a stock pot, bring the cherries and water to a boil; boil for 15
- minutes.
- Add sugar and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil
- for 4 minutes. Stir in pectin; return to a full rolling boil. Boil
- for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in
- extract. Skim off foam.
- Carefully ladle into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace.
- Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process 10 minutes in
- a boiling-water canner. Yield: 11 half-pints.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 tablespoons) equals 106 calories, trace fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 2 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, trace protein.