Ground Cherry Jam
I decided to wing this one. Very much preserved the flavour of the ground cherries.
- 2 cups (about 3 apples) Macintosh apples, peeled and cored (reserved for pectin) and finely chopped
- 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 4 cups ground cherries, husked and washed
- 3 cups brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Tbs butter (to minimize foaming)
Mix the chopped apple with the acid to prevent browning and cook, with the lid on, for about 10 minutes. This should soften the apple. I recommend using a plastic masher (my sister got me a fancy one from Pampered Chef) to minimize any chunks.
Add the sugar, cinnamon stick, butter and berries. Cook until done (about 25 minutes). Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle into hot/clean jars. Wipe the rim, assemble the lids and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. This made 3.5 cups.
I found this time I turned up the heat at the end to get a gel set and it was to much. The jam had already thickened into a hard set by the time I was pouring the first jar. Most unfortunate.
