Cherry preserves

Earlier this summer, I did something really decadent -- I ordered three pounds of Sweetheart cherries from Batch's Best Orchards in Washington State. When they arrived, I sat down and ate 1 1/2 pounds of them. The other 1 1/2 pounds I used to make cherry preserves.

The recipe is from a delightful book called The Glass Pantry by Georgeanne Brennan. (I got my copy off eBay.) You pit 2 pounds of cherries -- I had to augment my supply with some Bings from Whole Foods. A cherry pitter makes this messy job a lot easier, but not necessarily less messy. Mix 3 1/2 cups of sugar with 2 cups water in a large, heavy pan and let sit till dissolved, stirring occasionally. It took my sugar 15 minutes. Add 1 star anise and simmer over low heat, stirring now and then, for 15 minutes. Remove star anise and stir in the cherries. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 3/4 hours. About 1 1/2 hours in, raise the heat -- and stir occasionally because you don't want the cherries to stick on the bottom of the pan.

I am a big fan of thermometry. Stick a candy thermometer in the preserves -- when the temp hits 220 degrees, you've reached jell stage. I have a digital remote thermometer that I can set for temp -- when it hits 220 degrees, an alarm goes off. Alternately, you can test for jell by sight, which I also do. When the preserves start sheeting off the spoon in slow, goopy drops, it's time to start thinking about canning this delicious stuff. Ladle into clean jars, seal with lids, and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. The preserves will keep for a year (although you'll probably eat them within a month).

I gave a jar to my co-author and friend Linda. The other two I'm saving for the fall --- mmm, goes good with Sunday roast pork or drizzled over French vanilla ice cream.