Cherry jam in the Thermomix® is ready in 20 minutes. We add 1200 g of pitted cherries with 500 g of 2:1 jam sugar to the mixing bowl, blend for 20 seconds at speed 9, then cook for 8 minutes at 100°C at speed 2, add 2 tsp of vanilla paste and cook for a further 6 minutes at 100°C at speed 2. Fill into sterilised jars while hot and you are done. The result is a smooth conserve, not a chunky one. Knowing that in advance means choosing the right cherries and the right jam sugar from the start.
We make cherry jam every year in July, when the trees are heavy with fruit and the market has crates of them. Over the years we have learnt that the two most common problems have nothing to do with the recipe itself, but with the wrong variety of cherry and the wrong jam sugar. Get both right and you will have the same smooth, deep-red conserve every single time.
Cherry Jam with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 3 ✓
- 1200 g cherries pitted, fresh or frozen and thawed
- 500 g 2:1 jam sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla paste or 2 small vanilla pods as an alternative
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Blend the cherries.
Add the cherries and the jam sugar to the mixing bowl and blend for 20 sec / speed 9.
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2
Cook the jam.
Add the vanilla paste and cook for 8 min / 100°C / speed 2.
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3
Finish cooking the jam.
Cook the cherry jam for a further 6 min / 100°C / speed 2.
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4
Fill the cherry jam into jars.
Fill the jam into sterilised jars while still hot and seal immediately.
Stored in a cool, dark place, your cherry jam will keep for up to 2 years.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why the Thermomix® takes the stress out of cherry jam
The difference compared to a saucepan comes down to stirring. Jam scorches on the bottom of a pan if you are not stirring constantly, and with a saucepan you have to stand over it. In the mixing bowl, speed 2 stirs continuously and evenly without any scorching. We cook the cherry jam at 100°C, at a full rolling boil, because only then does the jam sugar activate properly and the jam set correctly afterwards.
The second advantage: blending and cooking happen in the same bowl. The 1200 g of cherries are blended to a smooth consistency in 20 seconds at speed 9, then the cooking stage runs straight on. No stick blender, no second bowl, no extra equipment to wash up. That is exactly what makes preserving in the Thermomix® so much more relaxed than on the hob.
Controlling texture: smooth, chunky, firm or soft
Our standard recipe produces a smooth conserve. If you prefer it chunky, blend for just 5 seconds at speed 5 instead of 20 seconds at speed 9, or add the second half of the 1200 g of cherries after blending the first half. That way whole pieces of fruit remain and simply cook alongside the blended base.
Too runny? Then the pectin level is too low. We add another cooking round of 3 minutes at 100°C at speed 2, or switch to 1:1 jam sugar next time. A jam that turns too firm and rubbery is the result of too long on the heat after the jam sugar has been added, which is why we stick precisely to the 8 plus 6 minutes. The vanilla paste goes in only after the first cooking stage, because the aroma cooks off if added earlier.
Sour cherries or sweet cherries: the most important flavour choice
The variety of cherry determines the character of the jam. Sour cherries such as Morello cherries produce an intense, slightly tart conserve with a clear acidity. Sweet cherries taste milder and fuller, but often need a squeeze of lemon juice, otherwise they come across as flat and overly sweet.
Our tip from many summers of jam-making: mix 50:50. 600 g of sweet cherries for body, 600 g of sour cherries for acidity. That gives the depth that a pure sweet-cherry jam never has. If you can only get sweet cherries, add the juice of half a lemon to the 1200 g. The acidity also supports the set, because pectin binds better in an acidic environment, and it keeps the rich red colour of the fruit.
The most common pitfalls when preserving
The jam foams up and overflows during cooking
When it comes to the boil, the mixture rises and forms foam. In the 2.2-litre mixing bowl this is rarely a problem with 1200 g of cherries plus jam sugar, but it can happen. Our solution: add half a teaspoon of butter to the first cooking stage. The fat breaks the foam reliably. For a vegan version, use half a teaspoon of neutral oil instead. Rest the measuring cup at a slight angle so that steam can escape.
The jam stays too runny in the jar
Jam is always liquid when hot and only sets as it cools. If you are unsure, do a set test. Our solution: place a drop of the hot mixture onto a plate that has been chilled in the freezer beforehand. If it sets within one to two minutes and wrinkles when you push your finger through it, the conserve is ready. If it stays liquid, simply cook for another 3 minutes at 100°C at speed 2.
The cherries are not yet pitted
Stones in the mixing bowl are a no-go: they damage the blades. Our solution: pit the cherries thoroughly before preserving. For frozen cherries, thaw them completely first and drain the excess liquid, otherwise the jam will be too thin. Pit fresh cherries shortly before use so as little juice as possible is lost.
Our favourite variations
Black Forest style: stir in 4 to 5 tablespoons of kirsch or chocolate liqueur after cooking. It tastes just like the famous gateau in a jar. The alcohol evaporates if you cook it in, so it goes in right at the end.
With almond: stir in a splash of Amaretto and a few chopped almonds after cooking. The marzipan note pairs with cherries like almost nothing else.
Cherry and cinnamon: add half a teaspoon of cinnamon along with the vanilla paste. It turns a summer jam into a winter spread.
Less sweet: use 3:1 jam sugar instead of 2:1. The jam becomes more tart and softer, but will not keep as long.
How we use cherry jam at the table
On a slice of bread at breakfast it is a classic, but we have long since found many other uses for it. As a filling in home-baked jam doughnuts, as a topping over yoghurt or quark, and as a pool underneath a stack of pancakes. It also goes surprisingly well with savoury cheese, such as a robust Alpine cheese, where the acidity really shines.
If you are looking for more fruity spreads from the mixing bowl: our Strawberry Jam with the Thermomix® is the sweet summer alternative, and Plum Jam with the Thermomix® is the autumn option. If you want to work without jam sugar altogether, you will find the method in our Conserve without Jam Sugar.
How to store cherry jam properly
The most important step for shelf life happens at the filling stage. We fill the jam into freshly sterilised jars while it is boiling hot and seal them immediately. The vacuum that forms as the jars cool keeps them free from bacteria. The old method of turning the jars upside down is no longer necessary: filling hot into clean jars is enough.
Stored in a cool, dark place, the cherry jam will keep for up to 2 years. Once opened, the jar belongs in the fridge and should be used within 2 weeks. From 1200 g of cherries we get about 4 jars of 250 ml each, which keeps us going well through the winter.
Goes well with: toast, quark and bread rolls.
