Food of our Locality: The Evans Cherry
We don’t eat jam. I do use jelly on occasion for baking. But, decided to make an Evans Cherry Preserve for cakes and custards. It was easy-peasy, tart and tasty!
Evans Cherry Jam or Preserves
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (1/2 L or 500g) pitted Evans cherries, frozen
- 1 pkg (85 g) pectin crystals
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups sugar
Instructions:
- combine cherries and lemon juice in the TM bowl; set for 15 minutes at 100°C speed Reverse 2-3
- after 10 minutes, gradually pour pectin into the TM bowl through the opening in the lid
- reset for 10 minutes at V°C speed Reverse 2-3; stir in sugar through the opening in the lid of the TM bowl
- put MC in the lid, and cover with a cloth so the bubbling doesn’t spray around the kitchen
- make sure the mixture boils hard at least one minute before the time is up
- remove from heat; and pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch (6 mm) head space
- wipe jar rims thoroughly with a clean damp cloth; seal and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes
- makes 3 cups (1.5 L), or six 1/2 cup jars
Notes:
- on making jelly, you probably will need to add 25 to 50% more pectin or make apple-cherry jelly
- sour cherry juice does not stain kitchen counter tops
Sounds easy enough for me!
We do jam more than jelly – but anything homemade is preferred!
I have made your Evans cherry pie filling and it is EXCELLENT!! Love it! However, I can only use so much pie filling!!
I want to make some Evans cherry jam but I don’t have a Thermomix. So—– how can I make the jam the conventional way??
Also, will I drain the frozen cherries because they are really, really juicy this year?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Helen,
You will need juice for your jam, too, but maybe not so much. I would definitely save it as it is so delicious and good for you. You will need liquid pectin for the cherry jam. I use 4 cups berries, 2 1/2 cups sugar; cook until sugar is dissolved and bring to a boil (about 15 minutes), add one pouch of liquid pectin and boil for 5 more minutes, then continue as you would with any other jam. Place in sterilized jar, can in water bath, etc…
Let me know how it goes!
🙂
Valerie
Hello Valerie, what’s a “TM bowl”?
Thanks!
Hi Alexandra,
If you make Jam – you can follow the amounts and make the recipe as usual. The TM bowl is part of the Thermomix appliance that I use for almost everything I make in my kitchen. I am crazy over it. I also sell them, but that is now why I write recipes for them. I do this because I use it all of the time. Usually I provide recipes for non-Thermomix owners, too. A small portion of my site includes Thermomix recipes – but there is still a great body of work in that small corner. 🙂 If you want to know what the machine is, look in the black menu bar at the very top of my site and you will find the word “Thermomix” with lots of information about it there. It is slick for making jams and so many other things!
🙂
Valerie
Hi, I do not own a thermomix and was also wondering can this recipe be made without that machine and can powered pectin be substituted for liquid. By the way your recipe looks delicious and I really want to make this. Hoping you can help. Thanks so Much, D.
Hi Darlene,
Of course, you can make it without a Thermomix. I used to wash my dishes by hand, too (teasing you!!)…. Have you made jam before? If so, use your usual method with my ingredient amounts and it will work like a charm. If not, look up the jam recipes on the Bernardin website – and you will see if you read through them that the method is very similar. Once you get a hang of the method, use my ingredient amounts to make the jam with their instructions. It will work like a charm. Regarding your question about using dry or wet pectin, there are also conversions on the Certo website for substituting one for the other. Now, this is a bit of a different issue. Usually, the conversions work like a charm, but there are times that one form of the pectin just works better with specific recipes than other. The liquid form is easier to work with, but some think it can dilute the intensity of the flavour a bit. So, it can be a personal choice, but for the most part, the conversions on their site will work. You know, I usually do provide both ways to make my recipes if I am using the Thermomix to make it, so sorry about that. I haven’t ever made it any other way. It is tasty. I love, love, love my recipe for sour cherry pie filling (as it is just like from the can, but better, as I grown and pit them myself) and the preserved sour cherry recipe on this site is spectaular. The sour cherry vinegar is to-die-for, but it won’t keep well more than a couple of months. The best jam on this site, in my humble opinion, is my Saskatoon Berry Jam (but also made in the Thermomix).
Let me know how it goes!
Hugs, Valerie