Old Fashioned Chokecherry Jelly Recipe

Canning chokecherry jelly

How to Can Chokecherry Jelly

 

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If you have ever seen chokecherries, then you know that they are tiny pint sized cherries that are definitely too tart to eat off the tree. They make a great jelly or jam. Our mothers and grandmothers often used chokecherries for canning chokecherry jelly in the old days. Chokecherry jelly is now one of my favorite top 10 easy homemade jelly recipes for beginning canners.

 

The difference is between chokecherry jam and chokecherry jelly is how well you strain the chokecherries through the jelly bag. If you don’t squeeze the bag at all and just let the juice drip through, you should end up with a relatively clear jelly.

 

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If some of the fruit pulp ends up in the juice, you can still prepare the recipe the same way, the end product will just end up not being as clear and it will look more like a jam than a jelly.

 

Making jelly isn’t hard if you have the right equipment. You too can easily learn how to make chokecherry jelly just like grandma made.

 

Experience the unique taste of chokecherries with our homemade chokecherry jelly recipe. Made with wild chokecherries, this jelly is packed with a sweet and tangy flavor that's perfect for spreading on toast, muffins, and bagels. Follow our step-by-step canning instructions and enjoy the taste of nature's bounty in every jar of this delicious chokecherry jelly.

 

Chokecherry Jelly Recipe

Ingredients:

4 lb. chokecherries
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 pkg. or 6 tbsp. powdered pectin*
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. butter (optional)

 

Note: If you are going to make a lot of jam and/or jelly, then you HAVE to try this powdered pectin that you can buy in bulk from Amazon. Six tablespoons of this pectin is the equivalent to one box of Suregel pectin. This is the ONLY way to buy pectin inexpensively if you are going to buy a lot of it (like I do!). 

 

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Rinse chokecherries. Place in a large sauce pan with 1 c. water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until chokecherries are soft. Mash chokecherries with a potato masher.

 

Place chokecherries in a jelly bag to strain juice. Measure 3 c. juice, adding a little of water if necessary to make exactly 3 cups.

 

Combine chokecherry juice, lemon juice, and pectin in a large sauce pan. Stirring constantly, heat until boiling. Boil for one minute.

 

Add the butter and return to a boil. Add the sugar to the pot all at one time (measure it and have it ready ahead of time). Stir until sugar is dissolved. Return to a boil and boil for one minute.

Canning chokecherry jelly from fresh chokecherries.

 

Canning Chokecherry Jelly

 

Remove the pan from the heat. Remove any foam with a metal spoon. Ladle the jelly into hot sterilized jars, leaving ΒΌ inch head space. You can easily measure the headspace with this inexpensive canning funnel.

 

Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel. Place the sterilized lids and rings on the jars.

 

Place the jars in your boiling water canner and make sure the jars are covered with 1-2 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and process jars for 5 minutes.

 

Remove jars from the boiling water canner and place them on a towel on the kitchen counter to cool. Let jelly sit for at least 24 hours to give it time to set. Sealed jars can be stored in the pantry for 1-2 years. If you have any jars that didn’t seal, place them in the refrigerator to eat in the next month or two.

 

Yield: 3 pints or 6 half-pints

 

Give this old-fashioned chokecherry jelly recipe a try and see what you think!

 

Like this recipe? You might also like this recipe for canning cherries or this recipe for canning maraschino cherries.

 

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Discover the taste of the wild with our homemade chokecherry jelly. Made from handpicked chokecherries, this jelly is a perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. With our easy-to-follow canning instructions, you can preserve the goodness of chokecherries and enjoy the taste of summer all year round. Spread this delicious jelly on your favorite bread, crackers, or use it as a glaze for meats. Try our recipe today and savor the unique taste of chokecherries in every bite!

Easy recipe for canning old-fashioned homemade chokecherry jelly. Learn how to make jelly like a pro!




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6 Comments on "Old Fashioned Chokecherry Jelly Recipe"


  1. I followed your recipe exactly and ended up with the best tasting jelly!! Can’t wait to do another batch. Thanks for sharing and for the perfect example pictures and directions. Not sure if my jars were a little larger than pints, but I ended up with 3 pint jars and one 1/2 pint jar. My second batch netted 6 – 1/2 pint jars. Weird.

    Reply

  2. Made this recipe last night which completely filled 6 jelly or half pint jars…beautiful color, jelled nicely and tasted delicious! I found several trees of pears that I will try your pear jelly recipe on! Thank you, this is amazing jelly!

    Reply

  3. Sorry, I just found how much it does re to amount of jars. I have been making pretty much the same but mine on the MCP calls for only 1 lb of Chokecherries and 3 C sugar and 1/2 C lemon juice. I am wondering what the difference it will be with your 4 lbs of berries to my 1 lb. Mom made the jellies and jams and syrup since I can remember. Was always our favorite. I just made my first batch and came out great at 73 yrs old. Used the MCP recipe.

    Reply

  4. My mother and grandmother made chokecherry syrup with this recipe by only using half the amount of pectin. I have also done this and it works perfect every time. Besides using it on pancakes it can be used in milkshakes or as a yummy ham glaze! I always make jelly and syrup!

    Reply

    1. Hi! Yes you could use liquid pectin, but I’m not sure you would use the same amount of sugar, generally liquid pectin has slightly different directions. If the pectin has directions for making jelly, you can just follow their directions but prepare the chokecherry juice with the directions in my recipe.

      Reply

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