Ingredients
- 6 pounds dark sweet cherries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 ¼ cups brandy
Instructions
1. Rinse the cherries under cold running water; drain. Stem and pit the cherries.
2. Combine the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a large stainless-steel or enameled saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to a simmer (180°F). Add the cherries and simmer until they are hot throughout. Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in the brandy.
3. Pack the hot cherries into a hot jar, leaving ½-inch headspace. Ladle the hot syrup over the cherries, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe the jar rim. Center the lid on the jar. Apply the band, and adjust to fingertip-tight. Place the jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in the boiling water canner. Repeat until all the jars are filled.
4. Lower the rack into simmering water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner, and bring the water to a rolling boil.
5. Process the jars 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat; remove the lid, and let the jars stand 5 minutes. Remove the jars and cool.
Excerpted from Ball® Canning Back to Basics. Copyright © 2017 Hearthmark, LLC. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved.