My simple cherry jam recipe requires just 3 ingredients: cherries, sugar, and lemon! Enjoy it spread on toast, stir it into yogurt, or use it as a filling between cake layers with some Swiss meringue buttercream!
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You won’t need any special equipment, not even a thermometer! When I worked as a pastry cook, making jam was a simple part of our to-do list. We just combined all the ingredients in a pan and checked for doneness using the spatula test—scrape the pan’s bottom and if the spatula leaves a clear trail that takes 1-2 seconds to fill back up, it’s done!
- There’s no pectin. Cooking the jam longer -> more water evaporates -> thicker jam -> no need to use pectin as a thickening agent!
- It makes for a great gift 🎁. You can easily make a large batch, portion them out into smaller jars, and tie a little twine or ribbon on the outside. Who doesn’t love a homemade gift, especially if it’s food?
Looking for more easy jam recipes? Try out my easy strawberry jam recipe or my raspberry jam recipe!
Ingredients
To make cherry jam from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- You can use either fresh or frozen cherries for this recipe. If using fresh cherries, wash, and remove the pits and stems before cooking.
- We’ll be using both lemon juice and lemon zest in this recipe, which will balance out the sweetness of the cherries quite nicely.
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
💡 Cooking Tip
- Cook the jam in a large, wide pan. I actually like using my sauté pan because it’s super wide and shallow, which helps it cook more evenly compared to a deep pot.
- For smooth jam, use an immersion blender while it is still warm!
How to Make Cherry Jam
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients into a large saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and stir. Gently boil for 15-25 minutes, scraping the bottom + sides of the pan often. It will be really liquidy at first, then cook down and thicken.
Step 2: To test if the jam is done, drag your spatula across the bottom of the pan. If it leaves a clear trail and the jam takes 1-2 seconds to fill in the gap, it’s finished! It will continue to thicken while it cools. Enjoy!
For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
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Thank you so much! -Bianca ❤️
📖 Recipe & Video
Cherry Jam
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Equipment
- silicone or wooden spatula
- immersion blender optional
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds (680.39 g) cherries fresh or frozen, pits and stems removed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon (3 g) lemon zest 1 small lemon
- 1½ tablespoons (22.5 g) lemon juice 1 small lemon
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, stir together all of your ingredients: 1½ pounds cherries, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ tablespoon lemon zest, and 1½ tablespoons lemon juice.
- Turn the heat to medium and stir. Gently boil for 15-25 minutes, scraping the bottom + sides of the pan often. It will be really liquidy at first, then cook down and thicken.
- To test if the jam is done, drag your spatula across the bottom of the pan. If it leaves a clear trail and the jam takes 1-2 seconds to fill in the gap, it's finished! It will continue to thicken while it cools.
- Tips: While the jam is still warm, feel free to use an immersion blender to make the jam much smoother.If the jam is too thick after cooling, feel free to stir in a splash of water!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Cook the jam in a large, wide pan. I actually like using my sauté pan because it’s super wide and shallow, which helps it cook more evenly compared to a deep pot.
- Homemade cherry jam can last up to 2 months in the fridge. You can also store it in the freezer and let the jam thaw overnight before using. For long-term storage, you can always can your cherry jam! It can last for over a year if left unopened.
