Description
Capture summer’s essence in every spoonful with this classic homemade cherry jelly recipe — smooth, vibrant, and bursting with flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups tart cherry juice (from 3 lbs fresh sour cherries)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 box powdered pectin (1.75 oz regular or 6 tbsp)
Instructions
- Place clean, ripe cherries in a saucepan with ½ cup water.
- Cook on medium-high until cherries pop and release juice.
- Simmer 10 minutes to extract maximum flavor.
- Strain mixture through cheesecloth or jelly bag; do not squeeze.
- Measure juice, add lemon juice if using.
- Bring cherry juice to a full rolling boil.
- Stir in powdered pectin; boil 1 minute.
- Add sugar slowly while stirring; return to hard boil.
- Boil 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Wipe rims and process in water bath canner for 10 minutes (15 at high altitude).
Notes
Yields about 6–7 jars. Properly sealed jars last up to one year in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate after opening and consume within a few weeks.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Preserves & Canning
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 94
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.001g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0.1g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: cherry jelly, homemade preserves, canning, fruit spread