Canned Cherries
Canning cherries is a simple, rewarding way to preserve summer's sweetness for the colder months. In this guide, you'll learn how to can fresh sweet cherries, perfect for quick cherry pie filling, cherry cobbler, or spooned over a scoop of ice cream.
Jump to:
There's just something about canning that pulls me in. Sure, it's technically cooking, but it feels like something more. It's slower, more intentional. Maybe it's the satisfying ping of jars sealing on the counter, or the lineup of my mismatched jar collection.
It might be that I get to make once-a-year favorites like my dill pickled carrots, pickled jalapenos, or my kid’s favorite raspberry jam, I look forward to every season. Or maybe it's my trusty old canner, a vintage beauty older than I am, still chugging along faithfully batch after batch.
Whatever it is, canning has become one of my favorite hobbies; equal parts tradition, creativity, and cozy satisfaction. And if you're here, I'm guessing you feel the same way.
This canned cherries recipe is dedicated to hobbies.
Expert Tips
- Store your cherries in the fridge and avoid washing them until just before you’re ready to process.
- Don’t forget to adjust your processing time based on your elevation and jar choice. There are tables below to explain!
- Cherries do not ripen further once they are picked from the tree, so ensure you’re picking the ripest, most delicious cherries you can find!
- There are two methods to can fresh cherries, raw pack and hot pack, read below to find out which suits your needs! I use the raw pack method.
- If you’re a real cherry lover, you should check out my other cherry preservation methods to up your cherry game. I’ve got recipes for dehydrated cherries, fermented cherries, and frozen cherries, too!
Canning Safety
Sterilizing Jars:
Everyone and their dog has their own way of cleaning jars, but make sure that you do it. National Center For Food Preservation has clear guidelines about sterilizing jars. The TL;DR is that if you're processing for at least 10 minutes, sterilization is not required - this is why I do not sterilize my jelly jars (and process for at least 10 minutes!)
Processing Time:
When water bath canning, you must know your elevation due to the different temperatures at which water boils based on elevation and the length of time food must be held at a certain temperature before it is considered pasteurized. A higher altitude equals lower boiling temperature and longer processing time.
Raw pack:
| Elevation | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 0-1,000 feet | 25 minutes |
| 1,001 – 3,000 feet | 30 minutes |
| 3,001 – 6,000 feet | 35 minutes |
Hot pack:
| Elevation | Processing Time |
|---|---|
| 0-1,000 feet | 20 minutes |
| 1,001 – 3,000 feet | 25 minutes |
| 3,001 – 6,000 feet | 30 minutes |
Key Ingredients
Cherries: Pick ripe cherries! The biggest cherries are generally the most flavorful and sweet. Set aside any bruised, damaged, or moldy fruit.
Sugar: You can’t have a sweet syrup without it! Use granulated sugar for the syrup – I find it to be the best sugar to add sweetness without impacting the flavor of your yummy cherries!
How To Can Fresh Cherries
Raw Pack:
- Wash and prepare your quart (1L) jars, lids, in rings. Fill a large water bath canner with water and begin heating it over high heat.
Meanwhile, wash and pit 3 lbs fresh cherries. They can be left whole or halved, depending on your desired outcome. Set aside.
- Stir 5 1/4 cups water and 2 1/4 cups sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Prepare jars by placing them on a heat-proof surface. Place a canning funnel on top of your jar, then add a cup or so of prepared syrup to each jar.
- Pack each jar with cherries, leaving 1 inch headspace. Then top off the jars with hot syrup, leaving 1/2″ headspace.
- Wipe rims and cover with a lid. Tighten the rings finger tight. Use a jar lifter to transport and lower the jars into the boiling water bath and process at a rolling boil. See chart above for timing depending on elevation.
Hot Pack:
- Wash and prepare your Quart (1L) jars, lids and rings. Fill a large water bath canner with water and begin heating it over high heat.
Meanwhile, wash and pit 3lbs fresh cherries. They can be left whole or halved, depending on your desired outcome. Set aside.
- Combine 5 1/4 cups water, 2 1/4 cups sugar, and prepared cherries in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Prepare jars by placing them on a heat-proof surface, then fill the jars with the heated cherry mixture, leaving 1/2″ headspace.
- Wipe rims and cover with a lid. Tighten the rings finger tight.
- Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water bath and process at a rolling boil. See the charts above for timing depending on elevation.
See What Else I’m Preserving
Raw Pack Vs Hot Pack
Raw packing the cherries is a canning process where the simple syrup is brought to a boil, but the cherries are packed into the jar raw, and the jars are then filled with the heated simple syrup.
Hot packing is when the cherries are brought to a boil along with the simple syrup, then the works are added to the jars in one step.
The raw pack method does not remove as much air from the cells of the fruit, so the cherries are more likely to float. The extra air can actually cause the cherries to discolor after about 3 months. I recommend this method if you plan on using your cherries within 3 months.
The hot pack method removes more air from the fruit before adding it to the jar causing the fruit to shrink slightly. The shrink factor allows you to fit more fruit per jar. Hot-packed cherries are less likely to float and will resist discoloration. I’d use this method if you know you won’t be using your cherries within 3 months.
I generally raw pack my cherries, I find it easier, and we have no problem using them quickly!
Pitting Cherries Without A Pitter
Using a cherry pitter is nice, but if you don’t have one there are other options!
- Place the cherry stem side up on an empty beer bottle and using a stainless steel straw, chopstick, or kebob stick, punch through the top of the cherry and the pit will fall into the beer bottle below. This is my preferred method as I find it much easier and cleaner.
- Use a small pairing knife and cut the cherries in half to remove the pit. This method works great if you’re planning on using your cherries in pies or baked goods as they are already halved but, it is more time-intensive and definitely messier!
Don’t Toss The Pits And Stems
You’re going to have a few stems and pits leftover after this process, as well as some discarded fruit due to bruises and mold. This doesn’t all have to go into the trash!
The easiest way to deal with your cherry pits, stems, and discarded fruit is to toss them into your compost bucket, bin, or pile. Though the pits may take a while to break down, they certainly won’t harm your plants or garden in the meantime!
Some people actually keep the pits and make cherry pit liqueur!
Serving suggestions
- Add your canned cherries to milkshakes for a delicious cherry shake
- Pour the juice into a saucepan and simmer down before adding the juice and cherries to a pie
- Use them to top your homemade vanilla ice cream!
- Mix them with peaches in a peach cherry crisp or cobbler
📖 Printable Recipe
Canned Cherries Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh, ripe cherries
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 5 1/4 cups water
Instructions Start Cooking
Raw pack:
- Wash and sterilize your jars. Fill a large water bath canner with water and begin heating it over high heat.
- Meanwhile, wash and pit 3 lbs fresh cherries. They can be left whole or halved, depending on your desired outcome. Set aside.
- Combine 5 1/4 cups water and 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Prepare sterilized jars by placing them on a heat-proof surface.
- Add a cup or so of syrup to the jars before packing them with cherries, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
- Top off the jars with hot syrup, leaving 1/2" headspace.
- Wipe rims and cover with a lid. Tighten the rings finger tight.
- Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water bath and process at a rolling boil. See chart below for timing depending on elevation.
Hot Pack:
- Wash and sterilize your jars. Fill a large water bath canner with water and begin heating it over high heat.
- Meanwhile, wash and pit fresh cherries. They can be left whole or halved, depending on your desired outcome. Set aside.
- Combine water, sugar, and cherries in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Prepare sterilized jars by placing them on a heat-proof surface.
- Fill the jars with the heated cherry mixture, leaving 1/2" headspace.
- Wipe rims and cover with a lid. Tighten the rings finger tight.
- Carefully lower the jars into the boiling water bath and process at a rolling boil. See chart below for timing depending on elevation.
Notes
Batch information:
This recipe as written yields 2 quart (1L) jars, it can easily be halved, doubled, or more.Storage information:
Raw packed cherries may discolor after 3 or so months. Hot-packed cherries will maintain their color for up to 12 months.processing times
Raw pack: Elevation / Processing Time0-1,000 feet / 25 minutes
1,001 – 3,000 feet / 30 minutes
3,001 – 6,000 feet / 35 minutes
** Processing time stays the same for both quarts and pints. Hot pack: Elevation / Processing Time
0-1,000 feet / 20 minutes
1,001 – 3,000 feet / 25 minutes
3,001 – 6,000 feet / 30 minutes
** If using a pint jar, decrease processing time by 5 minutes.
pit cherries without a cherry pitter
Using a cherry pitter is nice, but if you don’t have one there are other options!- Place the cherry stem side up on an empty beer bottle and using a stainless steel straw, chopstick, or kebob stick, punch through the top of the cherry and the pit will fall into the beer bottle below.
- Use a small pairing knife and cut the cherries in half to remove the pit.
Will this amount of sugar make the cherries very sweet? My family is trying to avoid extra sugar if we don’t need it.
P.S. – I’m trying the cold pack method.
It is a lighter syrup, it’s sweet, but the sugar helps to preserve so it is necessary. I’m sure you’ll love them!
How much water do I mix with the granulated sugar to make the syrup?
Hey Lexi,
The recipe card at the bottom of the post has all the measurements, but you’ll need 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar and 5 1/4 cups water to make your syrup.
Great lay out of your recipe. I have only 1 question. Hot pack,
Do you fill with the cherries 3/4 and the rest with liquid? What is the ratio for hot packed? It states fill jars with mixture of liquid and cherries. There has to be a ratio.
Hey Karen, for this recipe, 3lb of cherries filled 2-quart jars, so if you’re hot packing, try to split the cherries evenly between the two jars. I don’t use a ratio, I just ladle the syrup and cherries together, aiming for about half. I could see that it would get more complicated with a larger batch, but I just try to use my judgment when adding the fruit to the jar. That said, you could always scoop all of the cherries with a slotted spoon and add them to all of the jars then go back and top up with syrup. Hope that helps!
Could I can with frozen cherries? If so, should I raw or hot pack? Organic cherries are impossible to find and I know cherries are on the dirty dozen list.
I would hot pack if you’re using frozen cherries. Raw packing them would lead to temperature shock in your jar and cause them to crack between the hot syrup and the cold cherries!