How to make Chokecherry Jelly & Syrup

It’s August and the chokecherry’s bushes are full of tart bunches of berries. This year has been especially good for all berries, Saskatoon’s as well as chokecherries. The deep purple almost black clusters are seen all over the native pastures and land on our farm. When the chokecherries are this abundant, picking is easy and making jelly and syrup for the pantry and for gift giving was something I knew I needed to add to my preserving to do list.

I grabbed my basket and wondered not far from the house, just to a nearby bush, where I knew a good chokecherry patch would be. I was not disappointed. A lot of the chokecherries still weren’t ripe, but a few bushes had clusters of the deep purple berries. It didn’t take long to fill my basket to get enough to make some jelly and syrup.

As you can see, some leaves and stems came with the chokecherries while picking, this is a sign that they aren’t quite ripe enough. The chokecherries should easily pull off the stem when ripe.

How To Make Chokecherry Juice

Chokecherry juice is the first step to make jelly and/or syrup.

• Rinse and clean the chokecherries in a strainer
• Place the berries in a large pot and add water. I use the ration 1:5. (5 cups of chokecherries to 1 cup of water)
• Turn the heat on medium high and let simmer for approx. 20-25 mins
• You will notice the berries start to lose their color and split.
• Remove from heat, place strainer over a bowl and strain. You can use a cheesecloth, or a jelly strainer to get most of the juice out the the berries.
• Once you get the beautiful purple pink juice you are ready to make jelly or syrup.

Tips: It will take approximately 7 to 9 cups of chokecherries to get 4 cups of juice

How to Make Chokecherry Jelly and Syrup

1. Prepare jars by sterilizing and add water to your water bath canner to get to temperature.
2. Take 4 cups of the chokecherry juice and add to a medium sized pot.
3. Add one package powdered pectin (57g) to the juice.
4. Stir to dissolve and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. (if making chokecherry syrup skip steps 3 & 4)
5. Add the 4 cups of sugar all at once, constantly stirring bringing mixture back up to a roiling boil.
6. Boil for exactly 1 minute, remove from heat and ladle hot jelly into jars leaving 1/4″ headspace.
7. Wipe rims, apply lids finger tip tight, and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
8. Once processing is done remove from canner and let cool. Check seals. It can take the pectin up to 48 hours to set and make the jelly.

Ways to Use Chokecherry Jelly

• Spread on toast, bagels, English muffins, or biscuits
• Stir into oatmeal, cream of wheat, or overnight oats
• Add a layer inside cakes or cupcakes
• Use as a filling for thumbprint cookies or turnovers
• Spread on pancakes or waffles instead of syrup
• Serve alongside cheese and crackers on a charcuterie board
• Mix into plain yogurt for flavor
• Glaze over baked ham or roasted chicken
• Swirl into cheesecake or ice cream

Way to Use Chokecherry Syrup

• Drizzle over cheesecake, pound cake, or angel food cake
• Stir into sparkling water, lemonade, or iced tea for a refreshing drink
• Use in cocktails or mocktails for a fruity twist
• Drizzle over ice cream or frozen yogurt
• Sweeten plain Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
• Mix into BBQ sauce for a sweet-tart flavor
• Add to smoothies for natural sweetness
• Pour over pancakes, waffles or French toast

Chokecherry Jelly & Syrup

This chokecherry jelly and syrup recipe captures the tart, rich flavor of wild chokecherries. Made with fresh-picked berries, and sugar, this old-fashioned recipe is perfect for toast, pancakes, waffles, or drizzling over desserts. It’s a great way to preserve summer’s bounty for year-round enjoyment

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Canning Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 5 half pint jars

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 Cups Chokecherry Juice
• 1 Box Powered Pectin (57gms)
• 4 Cups Sugar

Equipment

• Jelly Strainer
• Large Pot
• Half Pint Jars with lids and rims
• Water Bath Canner and Supplies

Method

 

1. Prepare jars by sterilizing and fill canner with water turn on medium/high heat to get to temperature.
2. Take 4 cups of the chokecherry juice and add to a medium sized pot.
3. Add one package powdered pectin (57g) to the juice.
4. Stir to dissolve and bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. (if making chokecherry syrup skip you don’t add the pectin just sugar))
5. Add the 4 cups of sugar all at once, constantly stirring bringing mixture back up to a roiling boil.
6. Boil for exactly 1 minute, remove from heat and ladle hot jelly into jars leaving 1/4″ headspace.
7. Wipe rims, apply lids finger tip tight, and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.
8. Once processing is done remove from canner and let cool. Check seals. It can take the pectin up to 48 hours to set and make the jelly.

Notes

How to make chokecherry Juice

To make  4 cups of chokecherry juice, place 7-9 cups of chokecherries to a large pot, add 2 cups of water. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Strain in bowl using a jelly strainer. or cheese cloth and colander.  

I love having chokecherry jelly and syrup on the pantry shelf during the cold winter months. It’s such a nice reminder of the summer past. The rich deep purple color, and tart flavor brings a bit of summer back during the cold months.

When chokecherries are in season, I like to make quite a few batches. Jelly makes nice small gifts for friends and loved ones. Pair with some biscuits, muffins or just on its own with a pretty ribbon. Jelly is a favorite among many. Give a jar of chokecherry syrup with some homemade pancake mix would make a wonderful gift as well.

If you have a questions or comments please let me know below. I’d love to hear how the chokecherries are where you live and if you give these recipes a try.