Bing Cherry Conserve



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Bing Cherry Conserve
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
6 hrs 40 mins
Total Time
7 hrs 40 mins
 
Originally from “Joy of Cooking” by Irma Rombauer and Marion Becker, this intensely flavorful cherry conserve brings back warm summer days during the cold days of winter. Joan Eckles, my other mother from childhood, made something similar for her Christmas waffles. Joan was a wonderful cook. I spent some years trying to find the right balance of flavors and I think she would approve of this conserve. For 18# or about 10 cups of sweet cherries, you will need 14-16 half pint jelly jars. Prepare the jars, lids and seed the fruit ahead.
Course: Preserving for the Future
Cuisine: Californian
Servings: 15 1/2 pints
Author: Barbara
Ingredients
  • 16 half pint jelly jars. Prepare the jars,lids and seed the fruit ahead.
  • 2 oranges seeded and chopped
  • 18 # Bing cherries
  • 6 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2-3 cups honey or sugar sweeten to your taste
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • sprinkle clove
  • 14-16 half pint jelly jars with lids
  • boiling water bath canner
Instructions
  1. Thoroughly wash the cherries with soapy water and vinegar, especially if they are not organic. Pit the cherries with a cherry pitter.
  2. While pitting the cherries, chop the oranges. Put the oranges in a pot with ½-1 cup of water, almost to cover them. Cook on medium until they lightly boil, then reduce the temperature to a low simmer.
  3. Cook until the rinds are very soft.
  4. After all of the cherries are pitted, put lemon juice in the pot and stir so that all of the cherries have lemon on them. Add the cooked citrus to the cherries, stirring well. Heat the cherries to a low boil, stirring regularly.
  5. Reduce temperature to low, stirring every 15 minutes, add the honey and spices.
  6. Continue cooking and stirring every 15-20 minutes to insure that the bottom of the pot does not burn, any lapse of attention or too high a temperature can burn the conserve and ruin the entire batch. Cook the cherries down. You will note that the pot becomes full of juice, where there was little juice in the beginning.
  7. Fill your boiling water bath with hot water. Heat it until just below a boil. Your jars and lids should be hot, clean and ready. I like to wash my jars in the dishwasher, keeping them on hot so they are well sterilized. II put the lids at a simmer in a small pot of water, at the ready for use. Continue cooking and stirring. It can easily take 6-7 hours. If you hurry your pot, make sure that you stir constantly to avoid burning.
  8. When the consistency has thickened to your desired consistency, turn the pot to a medium simmer.

  9. Continue to cook and stir until the consistency looks like this picture.

  10. Get your equipment ready. Pour the conserve into the jars one at a time. 
  11. Get your equipment ready. Pour the conserve into the jars one at a time. Wipe the lid of the jar with a sterilized cloth, put the lids on and tighten. Place the jars one at a time into the boiling water bath.
  12. Process for 10-15 minutes. Remove them from the hot water, place them on a grate to cool.
Recipe Notes

I am tempted each year to make fewer jars, but then one year the crop will be short and I’ll miss the harvest and we won’t have any cherry conserve for a year. This year the crop was only about 2 weeks long, so I had to be watchful. It’s worth it though. The time and energy gives us a very special treat that everyone loves. Enjoy.