Chokecherry Jelly Recipe (2024)

August is choke cherry season around here! We like chokecherry jelly, and since the fruit is free, I try to make it every year. Some years if I am busy, the birds get the berries first, crazy things! I have tried many chokecherry jelly recipes, and after many trial and error, I have developed this recipe that I love.

I enjoy canning. It is a lot of work, especially for some things, but I enjoy it anyways. Looking at those rows of jars…hearing the ‘pop!’, it makes me happy. And it is beautiful. Always make beautiful things.

I moved to a ranch house along the creek bottoms about two years ago, and this place is loaded with choke cherries. They grow in my yard and along the bridge over the creek. I had never tasted or used them before we moved here, but I quickly decided that I will not let any free food go unused…least of all fruit!

So, I perused Pinterest, recipe books and Google for a chokecherry jam recipe. And I found some. Problem was, they all are different, and some don’t work right. Finally I found two and kinda combined them to come up with my own that is pretty much perfect. At least in my opinion. 🙂

The method is pretty easy, actually. At least the way I do it.

How to make chokecherry jelly

First, give each of your kids a clean bucket and send them out to pick a few gallons. Just kidding! But they do usually find it fun, and chokecherries are easy to pick.

Some are bit red yet… normally try to pick them a little blacker. But around here it’s a race with the birds to pick them first! 😉

Then you wash them. I stir them around so the leaves and junk can come to the top. Then I scoop the trash out with my spoon.

Drain. You will notice there are some green berries in my bowl, and the tiny stems are all still on. Its OK. They really don’t matter. The pioneers used a certain portion of green choke berries in their jam instead of pectin. I don’t recommend that route. I tried it and was sadly disappointed.

How to make chokecherry juice for jelly

Put in a large kettle and fill with water till the cherries are just covered.

Simmer about 30-45 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and the juice is dark red. I confess I have never timed this. I’m bad about cooking by feel…

Drain the juice into a large bowl, and discard the seeds and flesh.

Wow! The kids an I picked about 4 gallons, and we got a gallon of juice! I see lots of jelly in my future… If you don’t have time to make it into jelly right now – you can store the juice in the fridge a few days, or freeze it to thaw for jelly later.

You should have your jars and lids ready before you start the jelly process.

Making the wild chokecherry jelly

Pour 3 1/2 cups juice into a large kettle. It will boil up considerably, and to prevent the jelly from boiling over, you must add a teaspoon of butter. (If you need it dairy-free, you can omit the butter and just use a very large kettle.)

Add the lemon juice and pectin. Stir. Bring to a boil.

When the juice is boiling, add the sugar.

Bring to a rolling boil (boiling so hard youcan’t stir it down) and continue to stir as it boils for 2 minutes. (This is where it will boil up and up and up. I boiled over two kettles of jelly on my stove. Please don’tbe like me! Use a teaspoon of butter to prevent boiling over. Burnt on jelly is HARD to clean off.)

When the 2 minutes are up, you can skim the foam off if you like. It doesn’t have to be skimmed off, but looks prettier/clearer if you do. Just use a large spoon to scoop off the foam and discard.

Then you ladle it into jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space.

When the jars are full, wipe the rims with a clean cloth. (They might not seal if they have jelly splatters.)

Place a lid on each one, and a ring. Tighten to fingertip tightness. In other words, just tighten them with your fingertips –don’t use all of your strength! 🙂

Next, place them in a hot water bath. The boiling water should be about an inch over the jars.

Bring the water in the canner to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes. If you live above 3,000 ft sea level, you need to check your county extension to see what the recommended processing time is for your area. I live at 6,000 ft, and I need to process them for 10 minutes.

Finally, remove the jars to cool. If the jelly isn’t set, I recommend not disturbing the jars for at least 24 hours. The pectin takes time to work.

Last but not least, stand back and admire your hard work!

And go make some room on your shelves for some yummy jelly!

Note: This picture is of a double recipe. One chokecherry jelly recipe yields about 7 cups (8 oz jars) of finished jelly. 3.5 pints.

Can I freeze choke cherry juice?

Yes, you may freeze the juice and thaw it later to make jelly with it! I have done this, and it works great.

Do I have to use lemon juice?

Yes, you need some lemon juice, but you can reduce it if you prefer less lemon flavor.

I hope you enjoy this chokecherry jelly recipe! I would love if you share on pinterest or facebook if it has helped you. 😉

*This post is shared here:

http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/10/homestead-barn-hop-131.html