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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.
I can’t eat cherry preserves with a spoon. That guilty pleasure is reserved for Nutella, peanut butter, and tomato 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.
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.
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]
I put cherries in cherry burrata grain bowls and in bourbon cherry caramel ice cream. I made pickled cherries and then put those pickles in a stone fruit panzanella salad.
At the end of Summer these cherry preserves should be sitting next to jars of easy peach preserves (no pectin) and quick strawberry jam.
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 cherry galette!
Easy Cherry Preserves
Ingredients
- 3 cups Cherries pitted (566g) I used a mix of sweet & tart
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar 230g
- 1 lemon juiced (40g)
- Cherry Pits
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.
Hum, why include the pits?
Hi Kelly! Great question. Cherry pits taste like almond extract, so I include them to impart some of that flavor to the preserves. It’s totally optional. You could also just add extract. 🙂
It’s simple but it looks so delicious! I love savory/sweet thing 🙂