Canning Cherries...So Easy! 

This will be a long one😂 When we were coming home from our honeymoon, we stopped and picked cherries. We just picked and picked and we ended up with 110 libs of cherries! 😮. We raced home - 4 hours away - and started canning. Hubby went to his parents and got their huge canner that fits over two burners, we went to the store, bought sugar and jars. Then he taught me how to bottle cherries. I had never canned anything before. And we canned and canned and canned. When we opened up the jars, they were two quart sealers!! And good thing they were. The last batch came out of the canner at 4 am. Now, 50 years later we will open the last jar we have been saving for our anniversary! 😂 We will not serve them!! For reference, 110 lbs of cherries makes 84 quarts with a handful left over. Oh and our apartment was upstairs and the temp was 85 outside so you can imagine how warm and humid it was. It was our start to our food storage. 84 quarts of cherries and about 200 of sugar. Over the years I learned to can - just about everything. Jars on the shelf make me happy. And my girls can also.

I just did 60lbs of black sweet cherries last week. Got a really great deal $1.99lb. We have 42 quarts of cherries. I just use plain filtered water, no sugar. It makes a wonderful light juice that I add seltzer to for cherry seltzer. Wish we bought more cherries.

I ordered 30 lbs of tart cherries from Michigan and they came frozen and pitted. It cost a little more but was worth it with arthritic hands.

I just canned 5 lb of cherries=pitted. Before I do these again I’m getting a cherry pitter! We like them with our fresh yogurt

I love canned cherries. I pit about three pounds of cherries sprinkle with some sugar. Freeze using the food saver bags. In the winter so good as a side with breakfast. take out about 5 minute before and fill a small custard dish..I have to say frozen are great. Careful of brain freeze

Great video but a couple things about steam canners: 45 mins is max processing time allowed. Also, there is no need to vent for 10 mins. The instructions are on the Michigan state site. It’s actually better to not vent 10 mins. Just ensure the steam canner is up to temp before starting the process time. Venting 10 mins on the longer processing times may mean there is not enough water.

I freeze dried 110 lbs of cherries last year. I pitted them all. I did dark sweets, semi-sweets and sours. I cut the sweets in half and did the sours whole.

I found a cherry pitter for $4 @ a thrift store a month ago, game changer.

Great video and I like the fact that you show your mistakes so we can all learn from them too. Thanks so much

My local safeway had sweet cherries for $2.47 a lb and $5.99 lb for rainiers! So I grabbed a bunch. I raw pack with pits in and light syrup 😘 you folks are fabulous! And a local farm had Tayberries & golden raspberries so I had to fill my freezer with those!! And they had the most amazing roboda apricots so I canned those as I just saw your apricot video 😂

I'm going cherry picking this weekend. PERFECT TIMING, THANK YOU, PAM! 🤗

My husband picked cherries from our tree yesterday (Cedar City, UT). We were thrilled to actually get cherries to harvest because we haven't had any for several years, usually because of a late frost. I recall often how much I enjoyed my sister-in-law's canned cherries from years ago and have always wanted to can some up. You had just posted this video a couple days before I started my search so I was thrilled. I follow many of your tips, advice and recipes and knew this would be authentic. Our cherries are small because my husband insisted on picking them now when we actually should have waited a couple more weeks, so I knew I didn't want to remove the pits because there wouldn't be much cherry left to work with. I ended up having 12 lbs of cherries so I thought I would only end up with 5 or 6 quarts, but to my surprise I canned up 7 quarts and 7 pints (wide mouth) . I was thrilled. I followed your instructions and printed off the recipe for future use because we still have more cherries to pick. I convinced my husband to leave the remainder ones on the tree and let them to continue to grow another week or two, so hopefully they will be bigger ones. Thanks so much for all you do for those of us that are still learning (I'm 72 years old). My heart is so full when I complete a session of canning, freeze drying, dehydrating, or freezing to eat in the near future and for long term storage. I can't think of a better way to spend my spare time (well, there are the grandchildren that are worth spending our spare time with and certainly bring me great joy too).

Hi, Pam & Jim! Thank you for sharing! This weekend I will be canning Chocolate Cherry Preserves, a recipe from the “Preserving with Pamona’s Pectin” cookbook. I will love having this stored for a decadent, easy dessert…warmed and spooned over some good vanilla ice cream. I purchased an OXO cherry pitter - hopefully it will be a time saver. I will be checking out your cherry pie filling recipe next! Thank you so much! 😊

We lived in northern Michigan (Cherry Capital of the U.S.!) back in the late 70's and I remember using honey instead of sugar when I canned sweet cherries. Wow! They were the best I've ever had. The syrup was luscious.

Pits are the pits! I dehydrate cherries for throwing into my winter oatmeal and they have to be pitted. I tell myself it's a labor of love. 😉

Tip for dealing with dripping fruit. Terry sport wristbands! I bought an inexpensive pack from Amazon and loves using them😊

How exciting to have less work to do when canning cherries! I’ve never canned cherries but will…and with the pits. Thank you, Pam, for another canning lesson. Love these 💕

I've been looking for this! 😍

They look amazing. I've always taken the pits out, now I'm not going to bother. Thanks.

Your information is always helpful…Thank you for all your hard work..

Thank you! I love cherries 🍒

Thank you! They are so pretty!

I've never done this. Can't wait to try 😋

Thank you for your wisdom

Loved this video! Im going to can some cherries now. I never knew could can cherries..I'm still a fairly new at canning too. ❤

Growimg up, apple trees were the common back yard fruit trees and those with cherry trees were viewed with a little bit of envy. Those with cherry trees didn't always feel as blessed as they pitted and preserved ahead of the birds. They did eat almost as many cherry dishes through the winter as they did applesauce amd Italian prune plums.

Love cherries. My grams always left the pits in too. I've never canned cherries, except pue cherries. I may do it now that I know how easy it is. Thanks. 😁👍👏👏👏

I am canning Rainier cherries. They turn out nicely. Glad to sibscribe to your channel!

They look so beautiful!

Thank you for a lovely video! I think it has gotten me over the hurdle of not knowing what to do with cherries... I don't have a lot of experience as they are $20 per pound here! But I have my own trees and hopefully will have my first big crop soon.

I haven't canned cherry for a long time. I think I will do some this year.

I waterbath canncherries in my electric canner the same way you do in light syrup and leave the pits in! They are the prettiest thing in a a jar!

Beautiful "Kompot".

One of our stores has cherries for $2.99/lb, so I bought about 9 pounds. I pit them prior to canning because I gift some. I like to make "boozy" fruit and cherries 🍒 with Amaretto are delicious ... as is or garnishes for drinks.

They look beautiful. Like gems. 👍🏻

Hi I like taste cherries, they go well in pies and cakes.

Cherries look delish. I’ve never canned them before. Thanks for explaining how to re-time and why! Hope you’ll make a video showing a recipe using these beauties. Thanks, Pam and Jim

Thanks for providing this information and link. Can the same process be used for Grapes? I remember my Grandmother and a circle of her friends (sewing circle) sitting around and pitting tons of cherries and having the best of times. Thanks for smile on my face and tear in my eye remembering those moments. Rob.

Very timely with the discovery 2 times of buried preserved cherries at George Washington's home. Thanks for acquainting us with steam canning. Federal govt took so long to approve. How about some cherry sling if extra cherries? Thanks!

Thank you for this video. We were gifted with 14 lbs of beautiful cherries! And I knew how to can them thanks to you. We now have 8 pints of cherries in our storage. We ate the rest.

Thank you! I have resisted canning cherries....because it is the pits (LOL), Where I live cherries will abound soon.

Great video I love cherries.🍒. Sadly I have no cherry trees. Hopefully one day ☺️ Stream of Steam!!! You got it😅

I love cherries that are tart for my pies. It is hard to find the tart ones here. I mailed my granddaughter my favorite type cherry pitter. They got it today for 4th of July. Their family which now has is two small boys 1 and 3 and girl due in late July. Now the small ones can enjoy cherries with no pits. It pits so fast and easy 6 cherries at a time and fun to do and easy cleanup all around. I got it on amazon.

saw cherries in my local fruit and veg for 35 aussie dollars a klilogram(2/and a half pound) from the usa

Just canned some apricots. I want to do cherry canning. From Monument Valley, Utah.

We made cherry jam about 6-8 years ago. We didn’t have a cherry pitter so I think we just sliced the cherries open to remove the pits. We bought 2 pints of cherries a couple of weeks ago. And I bought a cherry pitter so it would be less messy than slicing the cherries open. The pitter works great!

The pits at a very good flavor to the cherries I think. I always left them in too.

Do you have a video of your outdoor storage pantry?

I never pitted my bing or royal anne cherries. Each year I would upick both for 10cents a pound and end up with usually 75 quarts of each. I would also upick Mount Morency pie cherries for the same cost and would freeze rather than can them in quart sized freezer bags with 1/2 cup of sugar so they were already to pop into a pie shell or whatever I was going to use them for. The pie cherries I picked with the stems on because they are so easy to wash that way and then pop the stem and seed out together. It really doesn't take that long to do and they don't get all juicy and messy if you pick them by pulling the cherries off the stems in the orchard. Can''t upick any longer, no ladders for me, but I still buy a few pounds and can a few for a winter treat. I also can in pints these days instead of quarts.

mmm cherries!

I would love to cancel some cherries for cherry pie. So I guess I would need to pit them. I love having apple and cherry on the shelf anytime I wanna make a pie.

$2.55/lb Willard/Perry Utah fruit belt. Mom and Grandma never pitted for just plain bottled.

Fantastic lesson today. I will can cherrys for the first time because this video helped me feel secure canning cherries. My hubby asked me to try to make cherry hot pepper jelly for Christmas. I gave Never seen a recipe for it. Would you make the jam then get the pits out? Or remove pits first? Maybe you have a cherry jam video? Thank you both you have a wonderful channel.

Maraschino are probably treated with alcohol. Growing up we froze sweet cherries for instant treats and quart canned pitted tart cherries which could be dumped in a bowl with sugar on top. Canned tomatoes also were sometimes eaten with sugar on top. Pitting was done courtesy of the grower or if frost spared our trees we would just pull them free of the stone as we grabbed them from the tree.

Hi Pam and Jim, the cherries look wonderful! I remember the ones you canned in the weck jars. Can you use weck jars in a steam canner? Thanks!😊

Wow that’s quite a price per lb! B.C cherries in Canada for a 20 lb box is 4.50 a lb.

Hello, i remember going cherry picking as a child and it was so much fun when we would pick two cherries on one stem and hang them off of our ears! I also remember my grandmother and mother and aunts canning all kinds of things. They at that time had glass lids with removable rubber rings. Do you know why they got rid of those? Thank you another very helpful video. Have a wonderful weekend.

Pam and Jim, thank you for all your informative videos. You are my Bible for safe canning. I was wondering why the USDA now does not recommend canning elderberries...and syrup? What about pressure canning them? Please address this issue.

Can you can frozen cherries? Sweet or sour. And how would one go about it?

Can Monk Fruit be used safely as a sugar substitute to water bath cherries? I have to cut out sugar, but would like a small amount of sweetness in them. I don’t like most of the other sweeteners because of the aftertaste. Thanks for your help. Love the videos.

Just curious if you like water bath or steam canning better. I’ve never canned with steam and am debating on buying a steam canner

❤❤❤

Please tell how you use these canned cherries when you open the jar.

Can you explain why it's necessary to keep the jars completely out of the water if both are the same temperature? Thanks.

How do you use them afterwards? Can this be turned into cherrie crisps?

Where can I find your video where you explain the level 1,2,and 3 that you talk about?

Do you know how to can maraschino cherries? I had a recipe 50 years ago when I was in high school and now, I can't find it. I just remembered it called for sour cherries. In the stores they're without high fructose corn syrup.

How do you use these? I've never canned cherries. Do they taste just as good if they're pitted or are they soggy? Thank you.

Can you can frozen cherries? I need freezer space.

Not a canner yet but hopefully soon. Whats the purpose of putting some of the syrup in first snd not all at once after the cherries?

Local store has cherries 1.99 lb, think I need to go get more.

Hi, Good afternoon ???? I have a steam juicer & steam canner, I also have three kinds of cherries, tart, sweet and the red/yellow ones. My ???? Is can I juice the cherries and then can the juice??? Cause in the UGA of HCPF, it doesn't say, only apples, grapes, and pears, but nothing about juicing cherries. HELPP PLZ

I'm just curious, doesn't leaving the pits in change the density from the tested recipe? If it does change the density, is the canning time sufficient?

This is good info. To can pints, would you stream for 15 minutes or 20 minutes

First thank you so much for all of your content❤ you've really helped me and others in my family in having more confidence and knowledge about canning. I had just purchased the Nesco electric pressure canner and was hoping to ask a question. I canned meat last night but didn't want to stay up for the hour cool down so I unplugged it and went to bed. I got up this morning and took the four quarts out and only one sealed. The jars inside the canner were still pretty warm/hot. Another one sealed a few minutes after I set it on the counter. Do you think that one would be safe to put on the shelf since it didn't seal all night until now? My biggest question is, do you think it's not a good idea to leave it sit all night like that because the Nesco stays pretty warm all night..?

I had my first experience last year. It was a lot of work pitting cherries. I turned mine into pie filling. I don't think I will fo them this year. I'd want to purchase a cherry potter before doing again

Im still learning so this may be a dumb question.....but you said the cherries are only good for a year? I thought canned food lasted longer than that?

How much water did you put in your pot to do the steam method and did you have to have a bottom for the jars to sit on . ? Thank you 😊

What do you make with these?

So, if not pitted, is it easier to pit them after canning to use for cooking or do you suggest before???

Dear Pam & Jim, what do you do with the ziffining ones.. You put them up or discard them? I apologize for my spelling. Thanks and God bless you.

When I was a kid in California, we could get bing cherries for ten cents a pound or twelve popunds for a dollar.

How do you use your jar of cherries?

Just curious.(sorry if this was asked and answered in the comments, but I couldn’t find it.) what do you do with the cherries when you do use them after they have been canned. Do you just eat them like they are or do you put them in recipes? Thank you.

I have a question: I'm wondering if you have or are able to 'can' on the butane, single burner stoves? I have a glass top stove , which i do can on just fine, but my microwave is right above the stove top, so the steam from the canner has already taken out 1 microwave. I have no direct venting to the outside and I do run the fan/vent on the microwave, so I was looking for alternative to my regular stove top.

Cherries are my favourite summer fruit, I would absolutely love to can my own jars. A few weeks ago I planted a couple of dwarf varieties I found at my local Walmart - they’re part the “Romance” series bred and developed by the University of Saskatchewan in Canada so should do great in my area but I’m still a few years away from being able to harvest any! 😂 Just one question for you or anyone in the community: I haven’t canned anything before, it’s not something I grew up with. I’ve hesitated asking because it seems rather lame but … how does one know or where would someone search to find their precise elevation to determine the pressure level they should can at? Thanks as always. 😢❤

I've never canned cherries and I sadly don't have a fancy canning pan like that so can I just do the simple water bath safely?

Isn’t steam canning limited to 45 minutes or less? That’s what I thought NCHFP said.

Does this make Maricino cherries or more like a pie cherry?

Is it the same for tart cherries?

Link does not open the recipe.😢

Pam, did you soak your cherries in that liquid to prevent food darkening, (the water and ascorbic acid?). It says in my book that where you pick off the stems, it may turn dark. I don’t think you mentioned this step, but just want to make sure. I trust your judgement. Thank you for the video!

That is why I prefer gas, I can see the flame, and no surprise.

I had no idea cherries could be canned on their own. Are they still like fresh only softer? I have the same canner you do, and I have to say I am not all that impressed with the steam scanning part of it. I have had failures with no clear reason for them. I noticed when you used yours for this project, you mentioned letting it vent for 10 minutes before starting the timing. I make sure mine is in the green area for my area, less than 1,000 feet sea level. I always use new lids and follow directions exactly, and still get some seal failures. I feel really dumb when other people on RU-vid say they have 100% seal rates and I am using the same lids they are. This applies to pressure, and steam canning. Am I the only one who has failures??

Im sorry, what does she mean by level 1, 2, 3?

Pam, those look like Bing cherries. No issue with pH?

Say stream of steam 3 times real fast

I tried canning whole grapes. What a mistake! They were delicious; but their tiny seeds got in the way. That was seedless grapes.

Thank you for this video. And may I say Pam, you are looking great! Have you lost weight, it sure looks like it!

I was excited to see you canning cherries but I don’t understand, i guess your just using them for eating and. Or in pie or cobblers . ?