Cherry Jam - My Great-Grandfather's Recipe from Near Tarnów. "He was wealthy, so he splurged on sugar.

A long time ago, when my grandmother was still alive, she told me that her father-in-law was famous for his fantastic products and preserves, and even before their wedding, my grandfather gave her a recipe for the most delicious cherry jam, something people could only dream of in those days. "They were rich, so they splurged on sugar, not like us."

Apparently, before the war, my late grandfather's family had a fairly large estate in the Tarnów area. I don’t know much about my ancestors from this line, but my grandmother often talked about how wealthy her in-laws were and how skilled they were at making various things. She said this with a hint of sarcasm, but she had to admit one thing: my great-grandfather’s cherry jam was amazing, although one ingredient might seem a bit unusual.

Before the war (and for a long time after), not everyone could afford sugar, and at that time, preserves were either made without sugar or with much less of it. However, apparently, my great-grandparents didn’t skimp on sugar or on... vodka. Yes, my great-grandfather supposedly added a bit of strong alcohol to the cherry jam to enhance the flavor of the fruit. I do the same now, and I must admit, it’s fantastic.

Cherry Jam - An Old Recipe with an Unusual Addition

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of cherries (weight given after pitting)
• About 600 g of sugar
• 50-70 ml of vodka or other strong alcohol
• A small amount of water

Dżem wiśniowy robi się z wiśni i cukru, ale możecie dodać również produkt z dodatkiem pektyn, np. żelfiks lub cukier żelującyFot. Jana Kollarova/ Shutterstock

Instructions:

1. Place the washed and pitted cherries in a bowl and sprinkle them with sugar (about 300 g). You can slightly crush them. Then, set them aside overnight to release their juice.
2. The next day, transfer the cherries along with the extracted juice to a heavy-bottomed pot, add the remaining sugar, and pour in the water - about 100 ml.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat, stirring occasionally, and when the cherries begin to break down, add the alcohol.
4. Simmer everything over low heat for about 2 hours, and when the jam starts to thicken, transfer it to clean and sterilized jars.
5. Seal the jars tightly and immediately turn them upside down so the lids seal due to the temperature. Then, cover the jars with a towel or thick blanket and let them cool completely.

What was the purpose of adding alcohol to the jam? Primarily, it was to enhance and intensify the fruit’s flavor, but it also served as an additional preservative. If you don’t want to add alcohol to your cherry jam, you don’t have to, but it’s worth trying this recipe in at least a couple of jars - it’s worth it.