Chokecherry Jelly

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Chokecherry jelly is a traditional wild fruit preserve made with just three ingredients: chokecherry juice, sugar, and pectin. This tart, ruby-red jelly is easy to make at home and perfect for canning, capturing the bold flavor of foraged chokecherries in every jar.

Prep Time1

Cook Time10

Canning Time10

Total Time1 20

Course: Jelly

Cuisine: American

Keyword: foraged food

Servings: servings, Makes about 5 half pint jars

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups chokecherry juice from about 2 to 2½ pounds chokecherries, or 7 to 9 cups stemmed
4 cups granulated sugar
1 box powdered pectin 1.75 ounce box, or 6 Tbsp if using bulk pectin, use full box for jelly; half or none for syrup

Instructions

Prepare jars and canner by sterilizing jars and bringing a boiling water bath canner to temperature.
Combine juice and pectin in a large, deep saucepan. Stir to dissolve and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat and boil hard for 1 minutes. (If you're making chokecherry syrup instead of jelly, you can skip the pectin or only use half as much for a thinner, pourable preserve.)
Add sugar all at once and stir constantly. Return to a hard boil and cook for exactly 1 minute.
Remove from heat and immediately ladle the hot jelly into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply two-part lids, and process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude).
Let cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals before storing.

Notes

To extract chokecherry juice, you’ll need about 7 to 9 cups of fresh chokecherries (roughly 2 to 2½ pounds). You can use a steam juicer for a hands-off approach: just place the fruit in the top basket, add water to the base, and let the steam extract the juice into the collection reservoir. If you don’t have a steam juicer, add the chokecherries to a stockpot with about 3 cups of water—just enough to cover the fruit. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the fruit is soft and releasing juice. Strain the mixture through a jelly bag or cheesecloth without pressing, and allow it to drain for several hours or overnight. You'll need 4 cups of strained juice to make one batch of jelly.

Chokecherry Syrup

If you prefer syrup instead of jelly, you can reduce the pectin to half a box or omit it entirely. For a no-pectin version, simply simmer the juice and sugar together until the mixture thickens slightly, then jar and process as usual. Jelly made with full pectin may take up to 48 hours to fully set. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place for up to 18 months.

Altitude Adjustments for Canning Chokecherry Jelly

The standard water bath processing time for chokecherry jelly is 10 minutes at elevations up to 6,000 feet. If you live above 6,000 feet, increase the processing time to 15 minutes to ensure a safe seal and proper preservation. Start timing once the water returns to a full rolling boil, and always use tested recipes when canning at high altitude.

Nutrition