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    Home > Recipes > Jams + Jellies

    Easy Cherry Preserves

    Published: Aug 19, 2018 | Updated: May 13, 2022

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    These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! There is just one simple addition that makes them tower over all the rest! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.

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     These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year!

    I can’t eat cherry preserves with a spoon. That guilty pleasure is reserved for Nutella, peanut butter, and pasta sauce. (Oh, so that last one is weird?! Judgy)

    So what to do with all the cherry preserves? Spoon a generous amount over black pepper honey ricotta on sourdough toast! Obviously.

    These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.

    You could use regular ricotta…but I’m Extra and I mixed mine up with some fresh cracked black pepper and a dollop of local honey. I keep a pre-sliced loaf of homemade sourdough in my freezer for just these moments. This particular batch was Smoked Paprika Sourdough. Imagine all those flavors marrying in your mouth…yup a little bit of heaven.

    Last week was the last of the local cherries in NYC. Like little red phantoms, one minute they’re here and the next minute they’re gone. Overnight the gems disappear: First the tart cherries and then the sweet. Every single year I’m left a little sad at their departure.

    These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.

    I don’t play favorites with fruits, because Summer is magic, but if I did, cherries would be right up there.

    I told you about my first summer in NYC, when cherries were gone before I even got started on cherry desserts. This year I vowed never to let that happen again. One could even accuse me of indulging in a bit of cherry mania [evidence on my Instagram lol]

    These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.

    Even here on AHC, I put cherries in my grain bowls, in my caramel ice cream, pickled them, and put those pickles in a stone fruit panzanella salad. At work I baked ALL THE THINGS! (Cherry Coca Cola Cake anyone?!)

    I wrote you a little cheat sheet for making the cherry happiness last all year:

    Step 1: Buy all the cherries; eat as many as possible.

    Step 2: Make jam

    Step 3: Pickle the rest

    See easy as pie!

    You know what else is easier than pie? These cherry preserves. Seriously so simple.

     These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.

    A little trade secret – keep the pits, wrap them in cheesecloth and cook them with your jam. They will impart a subtle depth of flavor. Almost like cinnamon. In fact, you can cheat and just add a cinnamon stick, but I like to use all the bits of the cherry. I like to think it makes Mother Nature smile.

    But just in case you did want to make cherry pie. I'm here for it 😉

    Oooo or a galette!

    Cherry preserves in mason jar

    Easy Cherry Preserves

    Chef Lindsey
    These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! I spread mine on black pepper honey ricotta toast for an easy snack or breakfast.
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time27 mins
    Total Time57 mins
    Course Condiments
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 people
    Calories 183 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 cups Cherries (pitted (566g) I used a mix of sweet & tart)
    • 2 cups Granulated Sugar (230g)
    • 1 lemon (juiced (40g))
    • Cherry Pits
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions
     

    • Place cherry pits in a single layer of cheese cloth and tie shut with kitchen twine.
    • In a non-reactive sauce pot mix cherries, sugar and lemon juice. Nestle the bundle of pits in the cherry mixture. Cook on medium heat until the preserves begin to thicken.
    • To test for doneness, place a bit of preserves on a frozen plate and place back in the freezer. They should hold a line when you run your finger through it, but they shouldn’t run down the plate. Remove from heat immediately!
    • Carefully squeeze liquid from the cheesecloth pit bundle into the pot. I use a spoon to help because its hot!
    • Scoop into jars or whatever container you desire. You can also can them properly for longer storage. I just store mine in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    I don’t bother to cut my cherries up because the ones in the farmers market are small. If yours are large, or you want a more homogenous preserve, then feel free to cut them up!
    Cheesecloth: I use one layer because I want all that interchange of flavor between the preserves and the pits. Also the more cheesecloth, the more liquid is absorbed and I want all that cherry goodness in the preserves!
     
    yield: 2 cups
    Keyword jam, preserves, Summer
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cheflindseyfarr
    These Cherry Preserves are quick and easy! There is just one simple addition that makes them tower over all the rest! Stock up on Summer’s bounty and enjoy all year! Easier than cherry pie! ;-)

    You May Also Like

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    • Mixed Berry Jam
    • Quick Strawberry Jam
    • Peach Preserves
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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    1. Mary says

      July 18, 2019 at 11:39 am

      It's simple but it looks so delicious! I love savory/sweet thing 🙂

      Reply
    2. Harini says

      June 26, 2019 at 10:11 am

      That is one awesome toast. Love the riot of colors here. Ricotta with cherry preserve seems to be a delicious combo!

      Reply
    3. Kok aan huis says

      May 14, 2019 at 3:43 pm

      This looks amazing!!! Thank you for sharing you’re creativity!!

      Reply
    4. Little Plastic Footprint says

      November 08, 2018 at 12:11 pm

      This looks really delicious. Have you tried this using any different fruit? Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Yasmin says

      October 12, 2018 at 8:26 am

      Really simple and tasty recipe. Well done Lindsey.

      Reply
    6. Cook With Nisha says

      September 07, 2018 at 1:06 pm

      wow this white-red toast is making me so so hungry... thank you Lindsey 🙂

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        October 04, 2018 at 5:29 pm

        Thanks Nisha!!

        Reply
    7. Miss Kim @ behgopa says

      August 20, 2018 at 9:35 pm

      Cookie Girl! Glad to see you blogging again. Commenting on here feels familiar and like the good old days again lol. Time flies! I love cherries. Never tried pickled ones before! They look delish.

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        August 25, 2018 at 4:20 pm

        Hey Girl!! I'm trying this (not so new) thing where I do it all! lol
        Time really does fly! It seems like not too long ago we were both just starting out, you were telling me about culinary school and were a line cook. Then bam, you wrote a book, I'm a pastry chef. Geez!

        Reply
    8. Nancy says

      August 19, 2018 at 10:35 pm

      Sorry. I reread and found the answer.
      Thank you.
      Great post. ????

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        August 25, 2018 at 9:43 am

        No worries, Nancy! I cruelly put it all the way at the bottom! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Nancy says

      August 19, 2018 at 10:33 pm

      What does the cherry Pitts in the cheesecloth do?
      I have not heard of this. It looks delicious!

      Reply

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