Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs dark sweet cherries (fresh pitted or frozen)
  • 1.5 cups granulated white sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.33 cup high-quality bourbon
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Place cherries in a heavy bottomed stainless steel pot. If using frozen cherries, allow them to thaw for 5 minutes. Note: This brief thaw makes mashing much easier.
  2. Use a potato masher to crush approximately half of the cherries to release juices. until you see a pool of dark liquid forming at the bottom.
  3. Stir in the granulated sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and kosher salt. Note: Mixing the sugar with the juice before heating prevents crystallization.
  4. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. until the surface is covered in large, glassy bubbles.
  5. Maintain the boil for 15–20 minutes. until the mixture thickens and passes the wrinkle test on your frozen plate.
  6. Stir in the bourbon and vanilla extract during the final minutes of reduction. until the sharp smell of alcohol mellows into a sweet, oaky aroma.
  7. Remove from heat immediately once the desired thickness is reached to avoid over cooking the pectin.
  8. Ladle the hot jam into three sterilized 8 oz glass jars, leaving about a centimeter of headspace at the top. The wrinkle test is your best friend here. Don't rely solely on the clock. Depending on the humidity in your kitchen and the exact water content of your fruit, it might take 15 minutes or it might take 22. When you drop that jam on the cold plate, wait 30 seconds, then push it. If it forms a skin that shatters or wrinkles, it’s perfect. If it’s still runny, give it another 3 minutes of hard boiling and try again.