In our cold climate, we grow sour cherries, and we love them. The variety we cultivate is called Carmine Jewel. The bushes are very productive, so I had to find a way to preserve the cherries. Canning them in syrup is a great way to keep them on hand for a variety of uses.
Prepare the cherries for canning
After picking cherries, it’s important to preserve them quickly, as they do not last long. The most labor-intensive task with cherries is pitting them. Start by washing the cherries; if necessary, you can soak them to let any unwanted worms float to the surface.
There are various cherry pitters on the market to choose from, or you can simply use your hands. I find that different pitters or using my hands works depending on the variety of cherries. For smaller sour cherries, you’ll need to adjust your method accordingly.
Prepare the syrup
Cherries can be canned in water, but this will drain their sweetness. Therefore, preparing a sweet syrup makes sense. The syrup’s sweetness depends on your preference and the cherries’ sweetness.
The “Camble Book of Home Preserving” offers several syrup recipes in cup measurements. However, I generally find cups to be quite unreliable, especially when it comes to canning, where precision is essential. Although the amount of sugar in this case does not affect the preserve’s safety, it can still make a significant difference in the final product.
For example, 3 1/4 cups of sugar for a medium sweet syrup is supposed to weigh 650 grams. However, when I measured the organic sugar I used, 650 grams only amounted to 2 1/2 cups. That’s quite a difference! Therefore, I usually convert recipes to grams to ensure accuracy, regardless of the type of sugar I use.
When substituting honey for sugar, use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey per 1 cup of sugar, since honey is much sweeter.
Filling the jars for canning
As I usually do when canning small items like beans or cherries, I start with the liquid. It is part of the simplified approach to canning. This helps eliminate air bubbles. I also do not sterilize or heat my jars beforehand, as the processing will ensure proper sterilization. Starting with a little liquid helps prevent room-temperature jars from splitting.
After filling each jar with about an inch of syrup, add the cherries. Then, top the cherries with more syrup as needed, leaving a generous ½ inch (1 cm) of headspace.
Cherries in syrup recipe
- 8 pounds of pitted cherries
- 3¼ cups (650 grams) sugar
- 5 cups water
- Prepare the cherries for canning by washing and pitting them.
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water
- Bring to a boil, stirring until all the sugar dissolves
- Pour about an inch of hot syrup into clean jars
- Fill the jars with cherries, leaving ½ inch of headspace
- Top with syrup as needed, again leaving ½ inch of headspace
- Wipe the rims, center lid, and screw on bands to finger-tight
- Put the jars into a water bath or steam canner
- Process for 25 minutes
Uses for Canned Cherries in Syrup
There are many ways to use canned cherries in syrup. You can strain them and incorporate them into baked goods; one of my favorites is chocolate cherry muffins, or just cherry muffins.
Alternatively, you can use the whole jar and thicken the syrup with a thickener to make pie filling or top waffles. A hot cherry sauce served over ice cream is also delicious.
What is your favorite way to use canned cherries in syrup?
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