Sour Cherry Skillet Jam

I’ve been wanting to do some canning this summer, but just can’t seem to find the time to commit a day to it. I haven’t canned anything since I was in a food lab in college, but I don’t remember it being that difficult. That being said, I’d still like to have a day to commit to this activity so that I don’t poison anyone with the fruits of my labor… So canning will have to wait until later this month. However, I’m about to have an influx of peaches, so I will need to get to it sooner rather than later!

This recipe doesn’t require any canning skills, just pop it in the fridge when you’re done. I made this jam with sour cherries from Michigan, which are the best! You may still be able to find the last of them at your local farmer’s market, but they can also be purchased frozen. This recipe brought back memories of a trip to Traverse City Michigan where we attended their annual Cherry Festival. I remember being handed a large cup of cherries upon entering, and ate so many that day I had a stomach ache for the rest of the night. It was worth it though! I now dream of making the trek back and indulging in all of that cherry goodness again. I think I’ll appreciate it more now, and all of the delicious things made with the fresh, local cherries. I can almost guarantee that I’ll still eat too many though!

Sour Cherry Skillet Jam

Adapted from Whole Foods, makes about 1 cup

1 pound fresh sour or sweet cherries, pitted and halved
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup sugar (1/4 cup if you’re using sweet cherries)
1 teaspoon cornstarch

In a large skillet, bring cherries, lemon juice, zest and 2 tablespoons water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 8 minutes or until cherries are very soft. Add sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently until mixture has thickened and most liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Stir cornstarch into 1 tablespoon water to dissolve, and then stir into skillet. Boil 1 minute, stirring. Let mixture cool, then transfer to a container and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Spread on toast or an English muffin. Also great on muffins or as an ice cream topping!

You can find more fun cherry recipes on the Cherry Festival’s website here!