Cherry with Crystallized Ginger Jam

Cherry Ginger Jam I have yet to run out of idea's for the cherries. I received my yearly box from the NW Cherry Growers. Cherry Jam with a nice cup of Crystallized Ginger sounds pretty terrific to me.  The day my box arrives I am so ready. Pa and I sit and anticipate the wonderful Jam's and concoctions we can make from these wonder nuggets. Well I could go on all day but let's get started Jammin'

Ingredients

8 cups of clean, pitted, chopped cherries
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons ginger powder
3/4 cup crystallized ginger
2 cups of sugar






Start by putting your cherries and lemon juice in a large non-reactive pot. Stir on a medium heat while smashing your cherries to the consistency you like. I like nice pieces of fruit in my jam's. Keep stirring the cherries keeping the heat at bay so as to not burn or scorch your jam. Never ever ever make jam without having the time and patience to enjoy the process. 

 
 


 Now you can add you Ginger Powder one teaspoon at a time making sure it blends into the cherries. Next you can add one cup of the sugar and stir to incorporate well.






This is going to be the time to add the crystallized ginger before you add the last cup of sugar. Stir, stir, stir cha cha cha ! Ok let's add that last cup of sugar and get the jam up to a rolling boil that cab not be stirred down.


You can just see the small little chunks of ginger.







This is going to be Cherrylicious






Now that everything is having a party in our pot we need to get the temperature up to 223. This temperature will bring your jam (most of the time) to a gel point. I put my thermometer into the jam about 10 minutes prior to the water-bath.

How beautiful is this jam. I note that Cherry Jam is one of the deepest colored jam I do. And the flavor is so very rich. Alright it is time to jar up this beauty. Take your warm jar's and full them to a 1/2 inch from the rim of the jar. Wipe the rim of the jars clean and place the top and twist on. Give your jar's a 12 minutes water-bath.









 
Once they have taken their bath remove the warm jars from the pot and place them on a towel covered counter. Let them cool for 24 hours and then remove the twist clean your jars. Dry your jar and label with type of jam and date you preserved them.. Store them in a cool area.

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Agricultural Extension Service for additional information.

Candied Ginger (Crystallized)

Well when I think of ginger the first and only thought that comes to my mind is Sushi - Duhh it has been the only way I eat it in it's raw form. I have seen Candied Ginger my Mama and Casey ate it all the time but no way not me. I have used it in Jam's but never my thing the ole' Ginger !

But now that Mama has moved in to our home the world is "her" oyster. Her latest request in her fragile little con-grama way was "Oh Honey could you possibly find the time to make some candied ginger ? I know if you make it it will taste so much better. 

And you love to do those home made things ! Right?" Right Mama I will.

So I went and found some ginger at my local produce store - now it is not the season for ginger. The taste was good but there was more string through the root than usual. But I used a not so sharp knife and the strands seemed to stay in the last slice piece so I could pull the cut slice off the string root. Hard to explain. Just know the best ginger is in spring.

But we are here to learn a process not the degree of gingerness! I first went to this site it is popular and well received. Let us get started. Oh do not think I did not go to more sites! I went here to this site and she followed the same direction as the first site but better pictures. Oh dang I did go to this site but the thing I did not like is that the ginger was pictured there three times on a crystal glass as if it were a super model and personally. I like picture's that show me the process. Anyone can take a picture and copy a recipe. Thank you! So all in all it was a short search. Cut the ginger in about 1/4" to a bit larger. As thin or thick as you wish. Oh do not cut it the length of the ginger that makes the long hair stay and it becomes a long chewy tough piece once you eat the ginger and sugar off. Experience.

Peeling is easy some use a peeler or a spoon and I do not know how they hell they do it. I used a small pairing knife and it worked well. Once peeled , wash your roots. Now cut them and like I said keep them in nickel and quarter slices (not ribbon to chewy) Once they are cut this is the recipe

 

Ingredients 

One pound of Fresh Ginger
4 cups of granulated sugar
4 cups of water
1 cup of sugar on the side for coating/dusting the ginger

Simmer in water

Boil the ginger for 30 minutes on a low simmer and drain.

 

Rinse well

Now take your water and sugar equal parts and add them to the sauce pan. Dissolve the sugar and bring to a rapid boil and add the ginger. 

Bring to a steady simmer till the thermometer reaches 220

Let us talk candy thermometer.

 I have had one for years for many uses the main reason is my jams.  If you do not have one do not run out and buy just do this. Keep the ginger at a rapid boil for about 45 minutes stirring occasionally - keep an eye on it mine did not burn and I was pleasantly surprised. 

Without a thermometer the syrup will be reduced by about a quarter and it will have the look of thin honey like  hummm 45 minutes is good to cook it.

The other recipes say to let it sit for an hour or best overnight. My excitement let me wait the hour ...lol.. So the way I did the sugar coating was I took pieces of the cooked ginger about 6 at a time and placed them in the strainer and by hand drizzled sugar on the pieces and turned them in the strainer till they were completely covered. I then transferred them to my mouth, no really I put them on a wire rack set above a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I did not let my ginger sit on one another because I wanted even coating. 

 

Let it sit overnight

Beautiful Syrup

I did leave some of the ginger in the pot to keep in the syrup I was going to save. I save the syrup for breakfast and for teas. I also once made a bundt cake and used the syrup for the drizzle. 


Save the syrup and put it in a jar and refrigerate. You can use it for tea, cooking, ice cream. 

Also take the sugar that dropped on the parchment paper and also jar it and save it for baking ! So much out of one recipe you have to love that !