Cornelian Cherry Jam

Cornelian Cherry Jam

I can certainly declare this cornelian cherry jam the breakthrough of the year for me. I knew about it, but one small detail was stopping me - the process of separating the seeds and obtaining the paste. I was cursing throughout the whole process. While it was cooking, I was still skeptical - that this jam was too runny ... But, when it cooled in jars and I tried it, it became the best jam ever tasted - aromatic, dense, thick, sour, nice colored etc. The children immediately called it a favorite and within the last week, we'd already consumed a whole jar.

I didn't imagine that the cornelian cherry jam would get so thick. I'm thinking next time I will separate the seeds as in this No-Cook Cornelian Jam Recipe and I will boil the jam like any other. I did relatively well with the big hole metal colander and you should know it will be almost impossible to work with a finer sieve - there will be cherries all over your walls :)) But it's still worth it, I guarantee!

Ingredients

●
Cornelian cherries
2 kg
●
Sugar
1 kg

Step by step

Step 1

This is what the cornelian cherries I bought look like. I sorted them, removed the stems and the leaves, washed and drained well.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 1
Step 2

I placed 2kg in a saucepan and poured over enough water to cover them.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 2
Step 3

Place over heat and, when it comes to the boil, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 3
Step 4

Meanwhile, find a good sieve, if you haven't bought one before, like me. I went to the market to search for a sieve with big holes and "rough", not fine.

If you don't have the right sieve, it's better to separate the seeds using the glass as in the Recipe for No Cook Cornelian Cherry Jam. You'll get a more concentrated puree, but at least you won't bother to sift the paste through the sieve.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 4
Step 5

When the cornelian cherries are cooked, scoop 2-3 ladles and place in the sieve. With a spoon, start to shake - rub them against the sieve so that you obtain the puree.

Now you need patience and perseverance, but just think about how wonderful the jam will be :)

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 5
Step 6

I got this far. I felt sorry there was so much left, but I couldn't do more.

Next time, I will make the paste with the glass method, as I said above.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 6
Step 7

This is what I had in the end.

Weigh the paste to see how much sugar you need to add - I had about 1kg of puree.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 7
Step 8

Pour the cornelian cherry paste into a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the same amount of sugar as the paste - so, for 1kg of paste I put 1kg of sugar. Mix well.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 8
Step 9

Place the pot over heat. When it comes to the boil, turn the heat to low and leave to simmer for 1 hour, stirring periodically.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 9
Step 10

This is what the final jam looked like. It was rather runny and I was really upset that it didn't thicken.

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 10
Step 11

Pour the jam into clean, dry jars, seal tightly and allow to cool completely.

Notice how firm the jam is in the spoon, and, what's more, it's super good ...

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 11
Step 12

With this recipe, I ended the season in the countryside. I had a visitor in the picture - my parents' kitten too wanted cornelian cherries jam with biscuits :)

Enjoy!

Cornelian Cherry Jam - Step 12
Quantity: 2 kg
Prep time: 60 min
Difficulty: intermediate
Ready in: 120 min
Publish date:
Rating: 5 (2 votes)
Collections: Canning

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Comments

CornusMasWoman
CornusMasWoman 04 Oct 2024, 09:02

I am working with Cornelian cherries. Thank you for your recipes! Very helpful information. Could you share how to use the glass method? When I clicked on your link, the instructions were in a language I did not understand.

My rating for recipe:
lena
Elena (lena) CornusMasWoman 04 Oct 2024, 10:25

Oops, my bad! I’ve already fixed the link. The recipe is now translated and much easier to undestand!🙏🏻

SavannahAepli662
Savannah Aepli (SavannahAepli662) 21 Aug 2026, 10:07

This is my second year using this recipe after discovering a nearby cornelian cherry tree, and it is so floral and delicious! My favorite use is in Molly Yeh's jam bars from Sweet Farm with almonds and cardamom.

Thank you so much for spelling out the recipe so well. I think next time I might add some lemon to this jam like I do in my other jams, but it's also perfect as it is.

My picture for recipe:
My rating for recipe:
lena
Elena (lena) Savannah Aepli (SavannahAepli662) 24 Aug 2026, 02:30

I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and found it helpful!

As for the lemon, I don’t think it’s really necessary, since Cornelian cherries are naturally quite tart and are actually very rich in vitamin C—even more so than lemons. But of course, you can definitely give it a try next time and see how you like it!