Crushed Cherries
Ingredients
Directions
Make the preserve
Put the pitted cherries into a kettle with the water.
Cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes (sour cherries may need longer).
Add the sugar and cook until the mixture reaches 218°F (103°C).
Add the benzoate of soda a few minutes before the cherries are done cooking.
Process and store
Process ½ gallon jars for 45 minutes at 180°F (82°C) or No. 10 cans for 22 minutes at 212°F (100°C).
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Pitted cherries
- Provide the fruit that forms the body and flavor of the preserve.
- Granulated sugar
- Adds sweetness and, with cooking, thickens the preserve and helps it set.
- Benzoate of soda
- Acts as a preservative that inhibits mold and spoilage growth during storage.
The step that matters
Cooking to 218°F (103°C) after adding the sugar. Sugar must be cooked to the stated temperature so the mixture concentrates enough to thicken and set. Undercooking can leave the preserve runny and more prone to spoilage.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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