Fresh from the Oven: Evans Cherry Jam

Hello All-

It is that time of year...canning season!!!  I haven't canned much in the past few years, with my big halt taking place when I was pregnant with Hannah.  When we lived in Maine, I was "in charge" of making my Memere's Piccalilli each year for my family.  (Someday I'll share the story of the recipe and how I ended up being the only one with it)  The only problem is that it requires hours of simmering green tomatoes and vinegar in what then was my uber-tiny kitchen.  If you know me in real life, you know that I am not a big fan of vinegar, and having morning sickness and having to smell it in my home was not a good combination.  So, I packed up my pot and jars for another time.  Then we moved to Canada and though I missed it, I hadn't busted out my supplies.  I think the altitude difference worried me and I didn't want anyone getting sick from my creations. 

Fast forward to this summer.  We planted an Evans Cherry tree a few years ago and we had quite a bit of fruit this year.  I didn't want to waste it, so Hannah and I picked the good ones and left a few for the birds. 

I was pretty happy, our 4 year old tree produced about a pound and a half of quality cherries.  Not bad in my book! 

I scoured the Internet for a jam recipe and was having a really hard time.  Finally, I came across this one on the blog, Food on the Food.  It was for a small batch, which was perfect for what I had. 

My only complaint was that I busted out all of my canning supplies, optimistically thinking that I would have more jam than I could eat before we move.  Instead, I only got two jars out of the batch.  It is my own fault...I can't expect a small amount of cherries to transform into gallons of jam.  Had I been more realistic, I would have simply put the jam into freezer jars and called it a day.  Oh well.  Live and learn. 

Hannah and I tried the jam today and it is quite tart.  I think it will be yummy on a sweeter bread.  Though I only got a small amount of jam, I am so happy that I was able to preserve something form our yard! 

Happy Canning!!

Sharon