Was it worth going through the harvest to canning process to yield only 1 pint of cherry preserves?
You bet it was! I was able to create a signature preserve from the fruit of our tree to savor and share all year long.
The top notes of this preserve is the ethereal scent of the orange blossom water that wafts into your mouth from the first bite. Next, the preserve blends with the bread and butter base of the fougasse and salted butter creating a complex middle note, finally, the bottom notes or aftertastes at the back of the throat is a lovely, pure sour cherry taste, nothing cloying, just the flavor of the cherry as it tasted with picked from the branch. 
Sublime.
By the time we usually come to our cabin on Orcas Island and visit the orchard the birds have taken the bounty, all that we find on this tart cherry tree is a few pits hanging on stems and torn leaves. Because we’ve been up here isolating for months, we had the foresight to wrap the tree in netting to keep the harvest for the humans this year.
The harvest wasn’t huge, but it was a harvest of our cherries that grew on OUR tree and was determined to preserve them to perfection!
You don’t have to make a massive batch to preserve the flavors of summer, today I’ll show how I adjusted a recipe to fit the amount of fruit my trees had to offer me. So, whether you are only harvest a handful of fruit from your tree or see only a perfect little pound of cherries at the farmers market, you can still make something splendid and signature to enjoy in the months to come.
Even though they were grown organically, I rinsed off the fruit in a colandar.
And sat on the sunny porch to pit them, click on the link/arrow below to join me on the deck…
https://splendidmarket.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/img_6108.movThis allowed me to figure out exactly what I had to work with, just about 4 cups of pitted, stemmed cherries.
But, at this stage, I realized I had run out of time. It was the Fourth of July and Mr. Splendid and I had plans to climb up Turtleback Mountain to watch all of the fireworks under the light of the Buck Moon. So, I had to get dinner going… I was a little torn about taking a break at this stage.
But then, I realized this was an opportunity to create a signature taste for my creation by marinating the cherries in fragrant orange blossom water overnight to add a unique flavor and scent to my cabin jam.
The next morning, I set to work to preserve my harvest, I followed this recipe from Martha Stewart but altered the proportions according to my harvest. The orange blossom marinated cherries smelled amazing as they began to heat up and I added the first batch of sugar.
Sour Cherry Orange Blossom Preserves
Yield ~ 2 ~ 1/2 pint jars of preserves
INGREDIENTS
1 pound 5 ounces {about 4 cups} sour cherries, pitted and stemmed
1/4 cup orange blossom water
1 pound sugar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
PREPARATION
Mix the pitted cherries with the orange blossom water and allow them to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight in a zipped bag or airtight container.
Fill a large stock pot with enough water to cover the jars by 1 -2 inches. There should be enough space above the water level so that the pot doesn’t overflow when it comes to a boil. Bring the water to a gentle boil and simmer 2 – 1/2 pint jars and lids for at least 10 minutes or until you’re ready to fill them.
Place 4 small plates in the freezer to use for testing when the preserves have become thick enough.
In a medium stock pot, pour in the marinated cherries, with juices, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the lime juice. Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently until the sugar has fully dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Stir in another 1/3 cup of sugar and cook, stirring until it has dissolved. Add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugars and, again, stir until sugar has dissolved.
Bring the mixture to a full boil and cook, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Use a candy or digital thermometer to test the heat, it needs to reach 220 degrees, which took about 30 minutes. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
Here are Martha’s instructions on performing a gel test, to ensure your preserves have properly thickened:
“With the temperature at 220 degrees. perform a gel test: Remove one of the plates from the freezer, and place a spoonful of the jam on it. Return the plate to the freezer, and wait 1 minute. Remove plate from freezer, and gently nudge the edge of the jam with one finger. If the jam is ready, it will wrinkle slightly when pushed. If it is not ready, it will be too thin to wrinkle. If the jam does not wrinkle on the first attempt, cook two or three minutes more, and repeat the gel test.” ~Martha Stewart
When the preserves have gelled, use tongs to remove the jars from the boiling water, pour any accumulated water back into the pan and put the lid back on the pan, allowing the water to come to a gentle boil.
Place the jars on a clean, dry cloth. Use a small ladle or large spoon to fill the jars to 1/4 inch from the rim. Make sure to evenly distribute the fruit and syrup. Wipe off any spills on the rim with a clean, damp cloth. Remove the lids and bands from the water with the tongs. Place the the lid, sealant side down, onto the rim of the jar then screw on the band, tightening firmly.
With the tongs, stand the filled jars back in the bubbling water, making sure they are spaced 1 inch apart.
Raise the heat to high, cover stockpot, and bring the water to a boil. Process jars in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Using tongs, take them out of the water and let the jars stand 24 hours. Hopefully you will hear that satisfying “click” when the lid indents on the jar, securing the seal. Check them the next day by pushing down on the lid, if you’re able to push the lid in {it’s not indented} you’ll need to store the jars in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. If the seal worked, you can store the jam in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.simmering water.
Are you planning on doing any canning this summer? I’d love to hear about it.
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