Amish Treasures of the Heart (6 page)

Cherry Preserves

Ingredients:
2 lbs. cherries, pitted
1 (3 ½ ounce) box pectin
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon butter
3 cups sugar

1. Sterilize your jars and keep them hot while you’re cooking the preserves
   
2. Place cherries in a large, heavy duty Dutch oven
   
3. Combine pectin with ¼ cup sugar; stir into cherries. Add butter
   
4. Bring to full boil, stirring, over high heat
   
5. Add 3 more cups sugar and return to a boil, stirring constantly, boil 1 minute
   
6. Remove from heat, skim off foam
   
7. Immediately spoon preserves into 3 one pint sterilized jars, leaving 1/4” headspace
   
8. Wipe the sealing surface of the jars with a clean paper towel, dampened with hot water, to remove any preserves or sugar crystals
   
9. Place lids and screw on bands fingertip tight
   
10.                  
    Process in a boiling water bath for at least ten minutes, depending upon your altitude
    
11.                  
    When the jars have been processed in boiling water for the recommended time, turn off the heat and remove the canner lied; wait 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner using a jar lifter and keeping jars upright. Carefully place them directly onto a towel or cake cooling rack to protect your countertop, leaving at least one inch space between the jars during cooling. Avoid placing the jars on a cold surface or in a cold draft.
    
12.                  
    After jars have cooled undisturbed for 24 hours, remove ring bands from sealed jars. Put any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use first.