Skip to main content

How to store cherries and best cherry jam (2 ingredients)

It is the season of cherries, one of our favourite fruits. Those who are regular readers of my blog would have read about cherry picking I posted last year. In case you haven't read it so far, do read it by clicking here. We are never bored of cherries and it's always a pleasure being out in the farm. Similar to last year, we had a lot of fun in the Sun Valley Farms. Apart from tasting and picking cherries, we brought along lot of cherries home and rekindled lot of everlasting memories from my childhood.

Me and my cousins have spent most of our summer holidays in our grand father's home garden where we used to grow different varieties of trees, flowering plants, herbs and shrubs - tending to them and playing under their shades. And in the afternoons, we used to enjoy (should I say loot?) fruits from others orchards - guava, mango, papaya, tamarind, pomegranate, monkey pods and a lot more. Don't get judgy-wudgy. They were all our relatives yards and gardens😜

Whenever I think of cherries, I also remember the cherry used for decorating cakes in India, in the 90s. Growing up those were the cherries we knew. But those weren't actually cherries. They are karonda fruit known as Bengal currant in English. The fruit is boiled in sugar syrup along with some food colour and preservatives to give it the colour and sweetness. The actually cherry fruit was quite a rarity in India back then. 



Storing freshly picked cherries:

We got a big basket of cherries which was approximately 4 kilos. Cherries don't ripe after picking, so obviously we picked ripe ones. After reaching home, the immediate task at hand was to store them properly so that they don't rot. 

Method 1:
For smaller quantities, which you will typically consume within a week, just wash and store in boxes in the refrigerator. 

Method 2:
The best way to keep larger quantity fresh for a long time is to securely cover the cherry box using a cling wrap. They will stay intact for almost a month. Wash and enjoy the fruit whenever required. 

Method 3:
If you wish to store it for longer duration, then you can freeze them. Wash the fruits thoroughly and dry them well before packing in zip lock bags or freezer appropriate containers. This way they will last for 6months up to an year. 
But remember to pack them in small portions, to avoid thawing the entire fruit when you need. Once thawed no point in freezing them again. Also remember to thaw the fruit for just few minutes. If you thaw them completely they will turn mushy and will lose their texture. You can pit the cherries before storing, so that you don't accidentally chew on the frozen cherries and damage your teeth.

Cherry Jam Recipe:

While you can enjoy the fruit as is, you can also turn them into tasty ice cream, jam, pies and a lot more. The moment we were back home, my son asked "Mama, I want to eat bread and cherry jam". I promised him he can for his breakfast the next day. I chose the well ripen ones from the lot and made an yummy jam, with just two ingredients. 

My jam recipe doesn't involve any preservatives, lemon juice or pectin. Still it will last fresh for months together when stored properly in the refrigerator. But I bet, you will finish it before you even realize😆It will be finger licking!!

Cherry jam is usually sweet with a bit of tanginess. But if you want to avoid the tanginess, then use only well ripe cherries. Some use pectin in jam making. It is a starch that is available in both dried or liquid form, usually added to jams and jellies to thicken them. But without it too the jam has the texture, taste and easily spreadable. Why include additives, when natural fruit works well? 



Ingredients:
  • Cherries - as many as you like
  • Sugar - as much as you prefer
Procedure:
  • Wash the cherries and pat dry them. Alternatively you can leave them to airdry overnight
  • Once dry, deseed the cherries and put them into a sauce pan (any wide mouthed vessel with a thick bottom will work)
  • Cook the cherries on medium heat. Within a minute, cherries will start to release the juice
  • Add sugar in batches and check the sweetness, till your desired sweetness is achieved 
  • Keep stirring the jam occasionally until the jam thickens
  • Once the desired consistency is reached, switch off the stove and allow the jam to cool down
  • Once the jam is completely cool, transfer it into an airtight container (preferably made of glass), refrigerate and enjoy
Tips:
  • You can also make a larger batch of the jam or make it in small portions
  • Obviously small portions are less time consuming and doesn't need canning. Just store it in an airtight container and use it within a week
  • If you want, you can mash or thoroughly blend the cherries before adding to the sauce pan. In such case, do remember the jam will take more time to thicken 
  • I personally prefer to use cherry chunks, so that we bite on the fruit while eating the jam
  • If you are looking for syrupy consistency, avoid overcooking. Otherwise it will thicken into jam. You can use cherry syrups as topping on ice creams, cakes, milkshakes etc.
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to read my latest articles!!

Below video gives you a glimpse of the fun we had in the farm, procedure to store cherries and the recipe for jam!! 







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Book: Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is the 3rd book I read this year. The 2nd was Meet Me in Mumbai by Sabina Khan. I have posted its audio synopsis and review on my you tube channel - Our_Bookshelf. It is available in this link . Meanwhile, if you wish to read my latest articles and watch the content I create, follow me on  Instagram  and  Facebook !!  Before The Coffee Gets Cold is the first book as part of the series written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It was originally a play written in Japanese in 2010 that turned out to be a bit hit. Later it was published as a novel in the same language in the year 2015. Due to its popularity, the book was translated into English. The author published sequels Tales from the Cafe, Before Your Memory Fades, Before We Say Goodbye, Before We Forget Kindness in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2023 respectively. All except Before We Forget Kindness have been translated into English and the fifth book is expected to be released in English ...

Recipe: Reminiscing with Carrot Halwa

When we are away from home, almost every meal we make brings back the memories of home. Festivals are no less. That too when we are from that wonderful generation who has witnessed and experienced festivals at their best, undoubtedly our hearts get full with those fond memories.  Deepavali is celebrated with much pomp and show and is considered the biggest festival in Tamil Nadu. Undoubtedly, festivals bring in a different vibe and of course new dress(es), good food and family gatherings. But Deepavali is much bigger than this because of the brightness it brings along with it, yeah the fireworks undoubtedly. When I was a kid, we start prepping for the festival for almost a month before - thorough cleaning of the house, shopping for clothes and crackers and the most interesting aspect for me was preparing special sweets and savories. Mom and I used to make at least half a dozen varieties of sweets and snacks. The constants used to be muruku and mixture.  A week before the festi...

Gearing up for First day of School

The day you first held your little one, the first time he smiled at you, those first steps, first tears, first words, first bike ride... You would have experienced countless firsts with your child so far. Before you knew it, your kid is just few days away from a very important milestone - his first day of school.  If your kid is starting kindergarten this academic year, I totally feel you. I was in the same state of mind, exactly an year ago. After tending to my son for more than 3 years, that too as a stay at home mom, he is very attached to me. I was with him literally 24 x 7, except for those very few minutes I sneak into the washroom. The thought of how he would survive those 7 hours of school without me, haunted me for days. Next his preparedness to face the whole new world (without us) was dreadful. I had infinite questions/ doubts in my head. It is quite natural if you have an endless loop going on in your head. In this post, I sum up my experience of preparing my child and ...

Book: The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

The Light We Carry, my latest read is written by Michelle Obama. This author needs no introduction. She is well known as the Former First Lady of the United States of America. She has authored three books so far - American Grown, Becoming and The Light We Carry. I loved her memoir Becoming and this my second of her works. In Becoming, she took us through her life, right from her childhood to the time she spent as the First Lady of US. In The Light We Carry, Michelle Obama focused on a more specific topic. She provided us a glimpse of her habits, practices, attitudes and beliefs she follows to stay balanced and confident, even during times of high anxiety and stress, both in her professional and personal space. She calls them as toolbox which she developed over time based on her life experiences and calls it as her own ongoing process of “Becoming”. Through this book, Michelle Obama discusses about finding personal power, communal power and the power to override feelings of doubt and he...

Review: Heeramandi - The Diamond Bazaar (Web Series)

The web series Heeramandi , The Diamond Bazaar, written, directed and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, is a historical drama based on the life of courtesans (tawaifs) during the pre-independence era. Ever since Heeramandi was released on Netflix, the internet is flooded by Heeramandi's success parties, reviews, interviews and memes. But what is the true story of Heeramandi? I will try to share few insights I gathered, along with my review of this 8 episode series.  Heera-mandi translates to Diamond-Market in Urdu. The story dates back to Mughal period. The then Prime Minister of Punjab (undivided India) Heera Singh Dogra, established a Market (Bazaar/ Mandi) as an economic center to promote trade. The place was named after him - Heera's market, so Heeramandi. To promote the economic hub further, they brought women from different places who were well trained in various art forms like dance, poetry, music etc. to make it a cultural hub too. A fort was constructed closer to the ...