How to Make Sour Cherry Jam in Canada (Bernardin Method)

Sour cherry jam is one of the easier-to-make preserves and one of the most distinctive in flavour. Niagara’s sour cherry crop happens for about 2 weeks in early-to-mid July; a single weekend of work captures that window for the entire year.

This guide covers the Bernardin water-bath method using Montmorency or similar sour cherries. Sweet cherries can be substituted with adjustments noted below.

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Pick your cherries

Sour cherries (preferred)

• Montmorency — the Canadian commercial standard. Bright red, very tart, the cherry-jam classic.
• Morello — darker red than Montmorency, more European-style, slightly less tart.
• North Star — hardy zone 3-4; common in Prairie and Manitoba backyards.
• Evans cherry — Edmonton-developed variety; hardy zone 2-3; uniquely Canadian.

Sweet cherries (workable with adjustments)

• Bing — dark red, sweet, classic eating cherry. Makes mild jam.
• Rainier — yellow-pink. Pretty but very mild jam.
• Stella — sweet, common Canadian backyard variety.

For sweet cherry jam: increase lemon juice to 4 tbsp per batch and add 1 box of commercial pectin to ensure both safety (acid) and set (pectin).

Frozen cherries

Frozen pitted Montmorency cherries (often labelled “tart cherries”) work identically to fresh — buy in bulk, use year-round. Many Canadian grocers carry them in the frozen aisle.

You need about 1.5 kg of cherries (about 5 cups pitted) for a 6-jar batch.

What you need

For 6 × 250 mL jars:

• 1.5 kg fresh sour cherries OR 5 cups frozen pitted tart cherries
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp bottled lemon juice
• ¼ tsp pure almond extract (optional but classic — added off heat)
• Optional 1 pouch Certo or 1 box Bernardin Original pectin (for firmer set; sour cherries set without it)
• Optional: ½ tsp butter to reduce foam
• Bernardin 250 mL regular-mouth jars, fresh SNAP lids, bands
• Cherry pitter — handheld ($10-15) or mechanical multi-pitter ($20-30)
• Standard canning kit — jar lifter, headspace tool, funnel, water-bath canner, ladle, large heavy pot
• Apron — cherry juice stains
• Frozen plates for cold-plate test

Method (no commercial pectin — traditional)

Step 1: Pit cherries

1. Wash cherries in cool water; remove stems.
2. Pit using cherry pitter over a large bowl (catches juice). Don’t try to pit in your nice clean kitchen without an apron — cherry juice splashes.
3. Measure pitted cherries — should be about 5 cups (1.5 kg fresh yields slightly less because of pits).
4. Some pulp/juice loss is normal — discard pits.
5. Save 6-8 cherry pits (optional) — cracked pits release amaretto-like flavour; this is the traditional way to get the cherry-almond pairing. Tie cracked pits in cheesecloth; add to cook; remove before jarring.

Step 2: Combine

1. Place pitted cherries in a heavy pot. Roughly crush half the cherries with a potato masher; leave half whole.
2. Stir in sugar + bottled lemon juice + optional butter + optional cherry-pit cheesecloth bundle.
3. Let sit 15-30 minutes at room temperature so sugar pulls juice out.

Step 3: Cook

1. Heat over medium until sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil.
2. Increase to a steady rolling boil.
3. Boil 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently as it thickens.
4. Cold-plate test at 20 minutes:
   • Drop ½ tsp on a frozen plate
   • Wait 1 minute; push edge — wrinkles + holds shape = done
   • Slides smoothly = 3-5 more minutes
5. When set is reached, remove from heat.
6. Remove cherry-pit cheesecloth bundle if used.
7. Stir in ¼ tsp almond extract (if using) — off heat to preserve the flavour.
8. Skim foam.

Step 4: Jar and process

1. Have your water-bath canner simmering.
2. Have hot jars ready, fresh SNAP lids on the counter.
3. Ladle hot jam into hot jars. Leave 6 mm (¼ inch) headspace.
4. Run the headspace tool down each jar.
5. Wipe rims, apply lids fingertip-tight.
6. Process 10 minutes at sea level (verify with Bernardin edition).
7. Adjust for altitude per our altitude article.
8. Cool 12-24 hours undisturbed. Check seals.

Method (with commercial pectin — firmer set)

Same prep. Then:

1. Combine pitted cherries + 5 cups sugar + 2 tbsp lemon juice + optional butter in pot.
2. Bring to a rolling boil.
3. Add 1 pouch Certo liquid pectin (or 1 box powdered Bernardin Original — stir into cherries before sugar).
4. Return to rolling boil; boil exactly 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract off heat.
6. Skim foam. Jar and process as above.

Yield slightly higher (6-7 jars instead of 5-6); firmer set.

Storage

• Cool, dark, dry place at room temperature
• Best quality 18-24 months — cherry jam stores exceptionally well
• After opening: refrigerate, use within 3-4 weeks
• Inspect before opening — vibrant red colour fades slightly over years; cosmetic

Variations

Sour cherry-almond jam (canonical)

The recipe above with the optional almond extract. The classic cherry-amaretto pairing.

Sour cherry-vanilla jam

Add ½ split vanilla bean to the cook. Remove pod before jarring. Skip the almond extract.

Sour cherry-kirsch jam (refrigerator only)

Stir in 2 tbsp kirsch (cherry brandy) at the end. Do NOT water-bath can boozy jams. Fridge or gift jars only.

Sour cherry-rhubarb jam

3 cups sour cherries + 2 cups chopped rhubarb. Rhubarb adds extra acidity; the result is even brighter and more complex.

Sour cherry preserves (chunky)

Don’t crush cherries before cooking. Result is whole cherries suspended in jam-set syrup. Beautiful but takes longer to set firmly because there’s less crushed surface for pectin extraction.

Sweet cherry jam

Use sweet cherries; increase lemon juice to 4 tbsp; add 1 box pectin. Milder, sweeter, less photogenic but still good.

Cherry sauce (looser preserve)

Reduce sugar to 3 cups; cook for less time (10-15 minutes); don’t aim for full jam-set. Result is a saucy preserve perfect for ice cream, cheesecake, pancakes.

Cherry-port jam (refrigerator only)

Replace ½ cup of liquid with port wine; cook in. Don’t water-bath can — alcohol not Bernardin-tested. Fridge use within a month.

How to use sour cherry jam

• On toast or scones — daily breakfast
• PB&J variant — peanut butter and cherry jam
• Filling for thumbprint cookies, linzer cookies, jam tarts
• Cheesecake topping — drizzle over slices
• On vanilla ice cream
• As a glaze for duck, pork, or chicken — brush in the last 15 minutes
• Stirred into yogurt or oatmeal
• In a Black Forest cake
• Cheese plate — sharp cheddar, brie, aged gouda, blue cheese
• Cocktail mixer — stir 1 tbsp into a Manhattan or whisky sour
• In a Bakewell tart — almond-cherry traditional British pastry
• As a crepe filling with whipped cream

Common problems

• Jam didn’t set. Sweet cherries (low pectin) or under-cooked. See why didn’t my jam set for salvage paths. Add commercial pectin and reboil.
• Jam set too firmly. Over-cooked. Warm with 1 tsp water to loosen.
• Foam stayed in. Skim better; use ½ tsp butter trick.
• Cherries floated to top. Crush more cherries during prep; or stir between jars while filling.
• Tastes bland. Skipped lemon juice. Add 1 tbsp per cup and reboil.
• Bitter almond flavour. Too much almond extract OR too many cracked pits. Use ¼ tsp extract max, 6-8 pits max.
• Colour faded. Light exposure in storage. Store dark.
• Jar didn’t seal. The 24-hour rule.

Yield expectations

• 1.5 kg sour cherries → 5-6 × 250 mL jars (no pectin)
• 1.5 kg sour cherries → 6-7 × 250 mL jars (with pectin)
• A typical Canadian household makes 6-18 × 250 mL jars per season

Why home-made sour cherry jam is worth it

• Distinctive flavour — sour cherries have a complex tartness that mass-market jam doesn’t capture
• Niagara heritage — Ontario sour cherry is genuinely regional
• Almond pairing — the cherry-almond combination is the basis of European cherry liqueurs and desserts
• Reliable set — sour cherries are forgiving in jam-making
• Excellent gift — distinctive flavour, beautiful colour
• Frozen cherries work year-round — make jam in February

Bonus: pit the cherries while watching TV

If you have a kilogram of cherries to pit and no patience, set up in front of the TV with a bowl, a cherry pitter, and a glass of wine. A 1 kg batch takes 20-30 minutes — about a single TV episode.

Next steps

• How to make strawberry jam in Canada — gateway recipe
• How to make raspberry jam in Canada — June-July companion
• How to make Saskatoon berry jam in Canada — Prairie heritage cousin
• How to make blueberry jam in Canada — companion summer berry
• How to freeze berries in Canada — store cherries for off-season jam
• Why didn’t my jam set — troubleshooting
• Canning altitude adjustments — required reading
• Water-bath canning pillar — broader method