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Chocolate-Cherry Preserves Recipe

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Courtesy Pomona’s Universal Pectin
Spoon this preserve on top of cheesecake for a stunning and absolutely heavenly dessert.

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Preserving With Pomona’s Pectin

Chocolate
and cherries were made for each other, and this preserve is proof. The
combination of the two is insanely decadent. Be sure to use high-quality cocoa
powder that is unsweetened and has no other added ingredients. Spoon this
preserve on top of cheesecake for a stunning and absolutely heavenly dessert.

Before You Begin:

Prepare
calcium water.  To do this, combine 1/2
teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with 1/2 cup water in a
small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well. 
Extra calcium water may be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Yield: 4 to 5
half-pint (8-ounce) jars

Ingredients2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) sweet cherries
1?3 cup (29 g) sifted, unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/4 teaspoon (0.6 g) cinnamon
1?8 teaspoon (0.25 g) cayenne pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice
3 teaspoons (15 ml) calcium water
1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons (7.5 g) Pomona’s pectin powder

Directions

1. Wash your
jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water,
bring canner to a rolling boil, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them.
(Add 1 extra minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)
Reduce heat and allow jars to remain in hot canner water until ready to use.
Place lids in water in a small sauce pan, heat to a low simmer, and hold until
ready to use.

2. Rinse
cherries, remove stems, and then slice in half and remove pits.

3. Combine
cherry halves with cocoa powder and the 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water in a
saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for
5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

4. Measure 4
cups (946 ml) of the cooked mixture (saving any extra for another use), and
return the measured quantity to the saucepan. Add cinnamon, cayenne pepper,
lemon juice, and calcium water. Mix well.

5. In a
separate bowl, combine sugar and pectin powder. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

6. Bring
cherry mixture back to a full boil over high heat. Slowly add pectin-sugar
mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to
dissolve pectin while the preserves come back up to a boil. Once the mixture
returns to a full boil, remove the pan from the heat.

7. Can
Your Preserves: Remove jars from canner and ladle preserves into hot
jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with
a damp cloth, put on lids and screw bands, and tighten to fingertip tight. Lower
filled jars into canner, ensuring jars are not touching each other and are
covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Place lid on canner, return to a
rolling boil, and process for 10 minutes. (Add 1 extra minute of processing
time for every 1000 feet above sea level). Turn off heat and allow canner to
sit untouched for 5 minutes, then remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for
12 to 24 hours. Confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly.