SURE.JELL Sour Cherry Jelly

Link to SURE-JELL Recipes on their website. 

Lorri Overson uses the following recipe for her Sour Cherry Jelly.

Fresh sour cherry juice, sugar and fruit pectin are cooked briefly then processed in a canner to produce gleaming jars of homemade jelly.

Yield: 5 (1-cup) jars

3-1/2 cups prepared juice (about 3-1/2 lb. fully ripe sour cherries)
1/2cup water
1box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl
¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)

BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling jars.

STEM and pit cherries. Finely chop or grind fruit. Place in saucepan; add water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth or jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops.  Press gently. Measure exactly 3-1/2 cups juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. (If needed, add
up to 1/2 cup water for exact measure.) OR Use a steam juicer and use juice for jelly. OR drink the juice and then mash the cherries in the top of the steam juicer, collect the pulpy juice and make jam which is what you sampled at the Relief Society Meeting.

STIR in pectin. Add butter to reduce foaming (recommended). Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Add extract if desired; stir.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches; add boiling water if needed.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids springs back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Prepare as directed, using sweet cherries and reducing sugar to 3-1/2 cups.

How to Measure Dry Ingredients Precisely
To get exact level cup measures of dry ingredients, such as sugar, spoon sugar into dry metal or plastic measuring cup, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with a straight-edged knife or metal spatula.

Jam or Jelly Didn't Set?
Every once in a while, you may find that your jam does not set the way you expected. If your efforts resulted in a runny batch, try our Remake Directions below to improve your finished jam. If your jam still doesn't set, you can always use it as a glaze or syrup.

PREPARE JAR: Wash one half-pint jar and screw band in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over one flat lid in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

PREPARE PECTIN MIXTURE: Gradually add pectin to water in small (1-qt.) saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to boil on medium heat; boil 2 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

PREPARE A TRIAL BATCH: Measure jam or jelly, sugar and 1 Tbsp. of the pectin mixture into small (1-qt.) saucepan. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 30 sec.; stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Immediately pour into sterilized jar. Cover and let stand up to 24 hours to check set of jam or jelly. Meanwhile, store remaining pectin mixture in refrigerator. Store jar of jam or jelly from trial batch in refrigerator.

PREPARE REMAINDER OF BATCH: If Trial Batch sets satisfactorily, prepare remainder of batch in 6- to 8-qt. stockpot, remaking no more than 8 cups of jam or jelly at one time and using same directions as for Trial Batch with the above-listed measures of sugar, lemon juice and pectin for each 1 cup of jam or jelly. Ladle into sterilized jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly.

PROCESS JARS: Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. for jelly; 10 min. for jam. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lids with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.) Discard any leftover pectin mixture.

The Overson’s have a large sour cherry tree and they usually spray it so, there are few if any bugs. You are encouraged and welcome to come and pick sour cherries to use in this recipe. Cherries are usually ready around the 4th of July.