Follow this easy sour cherry jam recipe for a delicious treat from your own cherry trees.
When we asked Levering for a jam recipe, he replied that nobody makes better jam than Martha Biggar. Martha — along with her husband, Ed, and sister, Elizabeth Whitman — operates Kelley Family Farms, which specializes in pound cakes, jewelry, and glassblowing. Here’s her jam recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sour cherries
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 packages regular powdered pectin (avoid the reduced-sugar variety)
- 12 cups granulated sugar
Directions
- Wash, pit, and cut cherries in half or smaller.
- Place cherries in a large stainless-steel pot with the lemon juice.
- Bring to a boil and cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the cherries don’t stick to the pot.
- Add pectin, stir, and bring back to a boil.
- Add sugar, stir to incorporate, and increase heat until the mixture is boiling vigorously.
- Boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, and set aside.
- Fill sterilized prepared jars to 1/4 inch from the top, according to proper canning procedures. Wipe jar edges, add lids and rings, and tighten the lids by hand.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
- Once removed from water bath, cool for 24 hours.
For more information, contact Martha at MarthaBiggar@Yahoo.com.
Note: For detailed canning information, refer to Ball canning instructions or the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
For more information and recipes with sour cherry trees, visit Best Sour Cherry Tree Varieties and Tart Cherry Cobbler Recipe.
Originally published in the June/July 2026 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS and regularly vetted for accuracy.
