Processing: Boiling Water Canner 10 minutesStorage: 12 months +
Yield: 6 cups
Mmm this is perfect not only for hot toast, but also used as an ice-cream topping, or between layers of cake. The sweet red cherries partner well with the coconut, this really smells (and tastes) just like black forest!
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups chopped cherries (firmly packed)
4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons powdered pectin
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
1/3 cup shredded coconut
4 tablespoons cherry liqueur (or cherry brandy)
Prepare jars.
Prepare jars by covering in water and boiling for 10 minutes.
Prepare cherries.
Wash cherries and remove stones. Chop roughly and measure 3 1/2 cups.
Combine ingredients and bring to a boil.P
lace cherries, sugar, pectin, cocoa, and bottled lemon juice into a large pan. Stir to combine. Simmer while sugar dissolves, then boil as hard as possible for 1 minute. Then remove from heat, discard foam and stir through coconut and liqueur.
Prepare lids.
While you are making the conserve, place the lids into a pot of previously boiling water. Do not simmer or boil, just let the lids heat through in the few minutes while you make the conserve and then fill the jars, removing the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
Ladle hot conserve into hot jars.
Ladle hot conserve into hot jars, to a 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Remove any bubbles, adding extra conserve if required to correct headspace. Wipe rims with a clean, damp cloth then seal.
Boiling water bath processing.
Place into water bath canner, water should cover the top of the jars by 1-2 inches (3-5cm). Add canner lid and put onto high heat. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. by bringing to a boil and then starting your timer once it has begun boiling, and keep the water boiling during this time. Once you have finished processing, turn off the heat and remove jars after 5 more minutes to a towel-covered bench to rest overnight.
Next day check for seals.
The next day check jars have sealed: they shouldn't flex up and down when pressed in the centre. If jars haven't sealed, refrigerate or re-process. For sealed jars, remove bands, label and store in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 12 months.