Sweet Cherry-Rhubarb Jam

Wash and rinse jars, lids, and screw bands. Set screw bands aside until ready to use. Place jars in boiling water bath canner with a rack, fill at least 2/3 of the way full with water, and bring to a boil. Boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize (add 1 additional minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level), then turn down heat and let jars stand in hot water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small pan, bring to a low simmer, and hold there until ready to use.

Rinse the cherries, remove and discard stems and pits, then chop the cherries.

Rinse the rhubarb stalks, slice them into thin, length-wise strips, then dice. In a saucepan, combine diced rhubarb with the ½ cup of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 5 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft. Remove pan from heat, then mash the rhubarb.

Measure 2 cups of the chopped cherries, and 2 cups of the mashed rhubarb. If you have extra, save it for another use. Pour the measured amounts of cherries and rhubarb into a sauce pan. Add lemon juice and calcium water and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and the pectin powder. Mix well and set aside.

Bring the cherry-rhubarb mixture to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the sugar-pectin mixture, then stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, still over the highest heat, to dissolve pectin. Return the mixture to a boil, then remove it from the heat.

Remove hot jars from canner and fill jars with jam, leaving ¼ inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, and put on lids and screw bands, tightening bands only to “fingertip tight” (until resistance is met, and then just the tiniest bit more).

Place jars in the hot water, on the rack inside the canner. (Make sure jars are upright, not touching each other or the sides of the canner, and are covered with at least 1-2 inches of water). Place the lid on the canner, return the canner to a rolling boil, and boil for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute additional processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.)

Turn off heat and allow canner and jars to sit for 5 minutes. Then remove jars from canner.

Allow jars to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Confirm that jars have sealed. Remove screw bands from sealed jars, rinse off outside of jars if necessary, label jars, and store for later use.