Sheridan Chokecherry Jam
A deep purple, slightly tart jam made from wild chokecherries that grow along creek bottoms in the Sheridan and Powder River area. It's a staple pantry item put up each late summer in ranch kitchens.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 10
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 60 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pot
- •Cheesecloth or jelly bag
- •Canning jars
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- fat
- 0
- carbs
- 15
- protein
- 0
- calories
- 60
Instructions
- 1
Put chokecherries and water in a large pot on the stovetop. Simmer for 20 minutes until berries soften and burst.
- 2
Mash the berries. Squeeze the juice and pulp through cheesecloth into a bowl, leaving the pits behind.
- 3
Measure about 3 cups of the strained juice. Pour it into a clean pot.
- 4
Stir in the lemon juice and pectin. Heat until the liquid reaches a rolling boil.
- 5
Add the sugar all at once, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute.
- 6
Drop a little jam onto a cold plate to test. It should wrinkle when you push it.
- 7
Spoon hot jam into sterilized jars. Boil them in a water bath for 10 minutes, or cool and refrigerate.
Chef's tips
Chokecherry pits contain mild toxins. Always strain the cooked pulp through cheesecloth and never eat the pits or crushed seeds.
Storage
Process in sterilized jars for shelf storage up to 1 year, or refrigerate opened jars up to 3 weeks.
Reheating
Not applicable; served at room temperature or chilled.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the straining step, which leaves bitter pit pieces in your jam
- •Not testing the jam on a cold plate before jarring, leaving it too runny
Serving suggestions
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