Canned Cherries
Canning cherries is a fun and easy way to preserve your favorite fruit for the winter. This article will guide you through canning fresh sweet cherries to use in pies, cobblers, or just as a topping for ice cream!
There’s something about canning that I just am so drawn to. It’s weird because it’s just cooking, right? And, yeah, I love cooking, but there’s something different with canning.
Maybe it’s the canning jars with their different sizes and shapes, or maybe because I can make something I generally only whip up once a year, or maybe it’s cause I have a vintage canner that’s older than me and just love that!
Whatever the reason is, canning has become one of my favorite hobbies! And if you’re here, I think it’s the same for you!
This canned cherries recipe is dedicated to hobbies.
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Tips + Tricks
No. 1 –> Store your cherries in the fridge and avoid washing them until just before you’re ready to process.
No. 2 –> Don’t forget to adjust your processing time based on your elevation and jar choice. There are tables below to explain!
No. 3 –> 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!
No. 4 –> 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.
No. 5 –> 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!
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!
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!
More Great Canning Recipes:
How To 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. 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!
How To Can Fresh Cherries
Raw pack:
- Wash and sterilize your quart (1L) 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 and 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 Quart (1L) 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.
Processing Times
Your elevation plays a role in your canning! Higher elevations have longer processing times to account for the lower boiling point of your water!
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 |
How To Use Canned Cherries
- 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 ice cream!
- Mix them with peaches in a peach cherry crisp or cobbler
More Preserving Recipes
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!
Recommended Equipment
Water Bath Canner: I have and LOVE an All-American Canner. Yes, it’s a pressure canner, but it doubles as a water bather too! The 925 model is a beast, she can handle whatever I toss her way! If you’re new to canning and not sure you’ll love it, there are some really reasonably priced water bath canners out there too.
Mason Jars: Mason jars are an investment, but they’ll last you for years and years with proper care and maintenance. I have some Improved GEM jars that are so old, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you they’ve been through 5 generations of canners and still work great!
If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating or leave a comment below! This helps me to create more content you enjoy!
📖 Printable Recipe
Canned Cherries
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh ripe cherries
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 5 1/4 cups water
Instructions
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.
Recommended Equipment + Ingredients
Nutrition
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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!
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!
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.
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!