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How To Make Low Sugar Chocolate Cherry Preserves

These chocolate cherry preserves are absolutely delicious and the best part is that they contain considerably less sugar than anything naturally sweetened that you can purchase in-store! My family loves these preserves in sweet rolls, as a yogurt mix-in, and as an ice cream topping!

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Supplies to Make Chocolate Cherry Preserves

If you have read my post about my favorite canning supplies, then you already know I’m going to mention my Cherry Pitter. If you make these chocolate cherry preserves, you will be so happy you purchased it! It pits 6 cherries at a time!

You also need Pomona’s Universal Pectin for this recipe, which is formulated specifically for low- or no-sugar canning recipes. Since I use Pomona’s quite often, I purchase the pectin powder in bulk. You can find it here.

I also highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker, if you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it. I use it exclusively for anything I water bath can. The best feature of this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

Recipe Video

How To Make Low Sugar Chocolate Cherry Preserves

Original recipe can be found here: https://pomonapectin.com/chocolate-cherry-preserves/

Instructions

  1. First, pit and halve 2.5 pounds of fresh, sweet cherries.
  2. Add cherry halves to a large pot. Add 1/2 cup water and sift in 1/3 cup cocoa powder.
  3. Heat cherry cocoa mix to a boil. Then, reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Keep 4 cups of cherry mixture in large pot, and reserve any extra for another use.
  5. Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional), 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 3 teaspoons calcium water to cherry cocoa mixture and bring back up to a boil.
  6. While waiting for mixture to come to a boil, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder and mix well.
  7. Once mixture comes to a boil, add the sugar mixture slowly. Stir 1-2 minutes and remove from heat once the mixture comes up to a boil.
  8. Store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    9. Canning Directions

  9. Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  10. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more mixture, if needed.
  11. Clean jar rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
  12. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  13. Put in water bath canner.
  14. Fill remaining jars until mixture is gone. About 4-5 half-pint jars.
  15. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  16. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  17. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  18. Wash jars and store without bands on.

The Best Ways to Use Extra Jam and Jelly!

If you’re anything like me, then you have a refrigerator full of half-empty jars of jam and jelly, maybe even a preserve or two! After all, you can only eat so much toast with jam before you get tired of it!

If you have a large family, maybe this isn’t an issue. But, with just my husband and myself, we’re always finding ways to use our preserves in unique ways! Below is a list of my favorite uses for jam or jelly for when we’re tired of it on toast.

Image is a closeup of a hand holding a jar of what appears to be orange marmalade. The lettering says, "5 no waste ways to use leftover jam and jelly, JamminandCannin.com".

Do you have a favorite way to use leftover jam or jelly? Please let me know in the comments!

1. Turnovers

You can find my sourdough turnover recipe here! A turnover is basically a little pie, and extra jam and jelly is perfect for making turnovers because each turnover only needs a couple of teaspoons of filling! I typically make 4 turnovers at a time, so, if I open an entire jar of home-canned pie filling, some of it will likely go to waste. Turnovers are a great way to use up a couple of half-empty jam and jelly jars!

2. Sweet Rolls

Sweet rolls are basically cinnamon rolls with a different filling. Using leftover jam and jelly gives you a ton of options to personalize your sweet rolls! My family’s favorite fillings are blueberry jam and chocolate cherry preserves, but the possibilities are endless!

3. A Mix In

My personal favorite way to use extra jam and jelly is as a mix in for yogurt! Plain yogurt is absolutely delectable with a little swirl of my sugar free jam, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkle of granola! You can get my sugar free blueberry jam recipe here and my sugar free blackberry jam here! If you haven’t tried my sourdough granola yet, you must! It is heavenly!

4. Vinaigrette

One of the newest ways I have started using jam and jelly is in vinaigrette! It adds a delicious flavor and a hint of sweetness to the vinaigrette–it’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted! You can find my blackberry vinaigrette recipe here. It contains instructions on how to make it your own!

5. Poptarts

These are similar to turnovers in the sense that they only use a tablespoon or two of filling each. And, unlike Poptarts that you’ll buy in the store, when you make them yourself, you control every ingredient that goes in them! I love making poptarts with sugar free jam and jelly for a healthier version!

Image of lettuce in garden bed.

Blackberry Jam Vinaigrette

If you’ve been following me for very long, then you know I’m a huge proponent of no-waste recipes. And this blackberry jam vinaigrette is one of my favorites because it’s so easy and delicious! You can learn how to make no-sugar-added blackberry jam here!

For this recipe, I’m using leftover blackberry jam, but you can use whatever you have on hand–blueberry, strawberry, the sky’s the limit!

Serving Suggestion

This vinaigrette is delicious on any greens you have available, but I personally love serving it on buttercrunch lettuce! The delicate dressing combines perfectly with the velvety texture of buttercrunch. I love eating it on my winter garden lettuce when it really starts growing in February and March once we get some warmer weather here in zone 7. The delicious addition of fruit jam is a wonderful treat after a few long months of winter!

Vinaigrette Variations

There are so many ways you can make this vinaigrette yours!

  • Jam – as stated above, you can use any jam you have on hand!
  • Vinegar – I love balsamic, but you can use white, apple cider, or even champagne vinegar!
  • Oil – I prefer olive oil, but any neutral-flavored oil would work too!
  • Sweetener – you can leave sweetener out, if you want, especially if your jam is sweet. I usually make sugar free jam, so I need to add sweetener to my vinaigrette. Feel free to try different sweeteners–you could even use sugar replacements!
Image of two black bowls with red beans and rice in them.

Instant Pot Red Beans & Rice

It’s the day after Mardi Gras and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll still have about half of a king cake left to polish off! This delicious red beans & rice recipe is a complementary dish to serve before slicing yourself a big piece of king cake. As a bonus, it’s ready in under an hour!

As always, this recipe features home-canned goods. Feel free to replace the beans and broth with store-bought if that’s what you have available!

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How to Serve

This dish wouldn’t be red beans & rice without rice! I make mine in a rice cooker. It’s also delicious topped with green onions and/or parsley!

Recommendations

I might be biased because I put it on everything. But Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning is a must for this (or any Cajun-inspired) recipe! If you like spice, check out my personal favorite: Tony Chachere’s More Spice Creole Seasoning. It adds the perfect amount of spiciness and saltiness!

I also recommend serving Louisiana Original Hot Sauce with this red beans & rice recipe. The pepper blend goes very well with Cajun food!

If you are looking for an easy way to prepare your garlic (see video below), check out my garlic preserving hack here!

Recipe Video

Image of noodle soup.

Easy “Chicken” Noodle Soup Meal Prep

This easy “chicken” noodle soup recipe makes for a quick meal, thanks to my soup mix freezer bags! It’s also a great option for meal prep because you can make 8 servings in under an hour!

Why Do You Use Tofu in Your “Chicken” Noodle Soup?

I use tofu in this recipe for two reasons.

  1. I personally dislike the texture of chicken when it is reheated.
  2. Because tofu doesn’t need to be cooked, making this recipe is even quicker than it would be with chicken!

If you don’t enjoy tofu, feel free to exchange it out for chicken! Just add the chicken before adding the stock.

What Are Soup Mix Freezer Bags and How Do I Make Them?

Soup mix freezer bags are bags of prepared-then-frozen vegetables! The best part about my soup mix bags is that they don’t need to thaw, so, when you need a last minute meal, you can pull a bag out and have a big pot of “chicken” noodle soup or any other soup ready in 30 minutes or so! To learn how to make them, click here.

Recipe Video

An image of frozen peas, corn, and carrots.

How to Use Up Vegetables in Soup Mix Freezer Bags

We’ve all been there… We’ve all had the best intentions of meal prepping or eating healthier and then either never started or only used half the veggies we bought. The rest sat in the refrigerator until they were either going bad or were beyond the point of saving, and we had to throw them out. Well, I have the perfect solution for how to use up veggies that will not only save time later but will help you eat healthier too!

You can use these to make my staple “chicken” noodle soup recipe or this delicious curry soup!

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Soup Mix Bags

When my celery is starting to wilt and my mushrooms have been sitting in the refrigerator way too long, I gather all of the vegetables in my refrigerator, take out my food processor, and get to work making soup mix bags! It only takes a few minutes, and then I have bags of vegetables ready to pull out of the freezer any time I’m hungry for soup. If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut your vegetables by hand. It will just take a little longer.

Items Needed to Make Soup Mix Bags

You don’t need anything fancy to make these soup mix bags, but there are a couple of items that make creating these soup mix bags much easier!

First, I love reducing waste by utilizing reusable, resealable freezer bags. These are my favorite!

I also recommend these stands that hold reusable or disposable freezer bags open so you can fill them more easily!

This is the food processor I use as well. It has an 8-cup capacity and is a great option on a budget!

What Vegetables Work?

The great news is that these soup mix bags are customizable to what you like to eat in your soup and what you happen to have in your refrigerator! My favorite combination just contains the staples I use in almost every soup I make–carrots, celery, bell peppers, onion, garlic, and mushrooms.

Below is a comprehensive list of vegetables that freeze well and that you could include in your soup mix bags:

  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Bell peppers
  • Onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Corn
  • Broccoli
  • Zucchini
  • Green beans

Vegetables With Special Preparation

Mushrooms will need to be fully cooked before freezing, while zucchini and green beans will all need to be blanched.

Instructions

  1. Wash all vegetables and peel the vegetables that need peeled.
  2. If any vegetables require special preparation, like pre-cooking or blanching, complete that preparation and set the vegetables aside to cool.
  3. Using a food processor with the slicing plate attached, slice the remaining vegetables you would like to use in your soup mix bags.
  4. Evenly divide the vegetables into reusable sandwich bags.
  5. Store in freezer for 4-6 months.
  6. When you’re ready to cook, simply take bag out of freezer and dump vegetables into hot pan.
  7. Allow to thaw and then cook to desired doneness.
  8. Continue with soup recipe.
Image of person with garden gloves on holding 3 orange carrots.

Carrot Top Pesto

This carrot top pesto is a great way to use up produce that gets thrown in the trash or the compost pile most of the time! Not only is it no waste, but the light, delicious flavor brightens any pasta! It’s also delicious as a topping for a slice of sourdough bread.

If you’re looking for recipe inspiration for the carrot root, check out my delicious carrot cake recipe here!

Carrot Top Pesto Variations

While this recipe features carrot tops, you can really change it up and make it your own! Here are a few suggestions:

  • Change the greens up. If you don’t have basil (or carrot tops), try spinach, arugula, mache, or another light herb, like parsley or cilantro!
  • Leave out the cheese, if you’re vegan. Nutritional yeast is a great replacement, if you’re still wanting a cheesy flavor without the animal product.
  • Try adding or completely changing the nuts. Walnuts are a very popular option, but almonds are delicious too!

How to Use Carrot Top Pesto

My favorite way to use carrot top pesto is on pasta, of course! But I have a good friend who swears that the best way to eat pesto is on spaghetti squash, which is great news if you’re low carb! It’s also delicious served as a topping for sourdough bread or on any breakfast dish that features eggs!

Oil for Carrot Top Pesto

I’m all about a good deal, but you definitely do not want to skimp when it comes to the olive oil in this carrot top pesto recipe! Because there is so much oil in this recipe, the flavor definitely stands out and can easily make or break a dish. I personally love using the oil I receive from my subscription to Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil! I’m not affiliated or paid by them at all–I just really love the subscription and the olive oil!

Freezing Carrot Top Pesto

This recipe makes about 10 portions, which I like to freeze for quick meals later! If you want to make less pesto, just adjust the serving size in the recipe card! I freeze the pesto into single-portion cubes, then store them in a reusable freezer bag until ready to use. They will store well for up to 3 months, but I find that they start losing the fresh taste after that.

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Recipe Video

Image of hand holding jam in a jar.

No Sugar Added Blackberry Jam

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No sugar added blackberry jam is so easy to make! And it’s even easier if you own a Ball freshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker (J&J Maker for short)! I LOVE my J&J Maker! But I was tired of being limited by the few recipes that come with the Jam & Jelly Maker, so I decided to experiment. This recipe is a Bernardin recipe and you can find the link here. But, if you want to learn how to make it in the Jam & Jelly Maker, keep reading!

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Why Use the Jam & Jelly Maker?

The Jam & Jelly Maker is so easy to use because it stirs for you! It also doesn’t require that you use your stovetop, which is a bonus if you work full time and do all of your cooking, canning, and baking on the weekends like me! It is so nice to be able to keep a large burner clear for lunch, dinner, or whatever I’m meal-prepping!

If you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it, I highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker! The awesome thing about this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

What Do I Need to Can?

The simple answer is that you need jars, lids, bands, and a large pot that will allow water to cover your jars by 1-2 inches. However, I do have some favorite canning tools that make life easier. You can find the list here, and below is a list of the tools I use in the video.

How to Make No Sugar Added Blackberry Jam in Jam & Jelly Maker

Instructions

  1. First, mash 4 cups of rinsed blackberries.
  2. Prepare other ingredients–1 cup unsweetened fruit juice and 49 grams of Ball or Bernardin Low or No Sugar Pectin.
  3. Sprinkle pection on bottom of Jam & Jelly Maker, spread blackberry mash evenly over the top, and add in fruit juice.
  4. Press “Jam” and press “Enter.” The J&J Maker will start stirring.
  5. After 4 minutes, the J&J Maker will beep. If you are adding any sweetener, pour it evenly over the top of the mixture. If you’re not adding any sweetener put the lid on.
  6. For the remaining 17 minutes, watch the J&J Maker carefully. If at any time it looks like the mixture may overflow, take the lid off and allow the mixture to cool.
  7. The J&J Maker will beep again when it is finished. Take the lid off and either store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    8. Canning Directions

  8. Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  9. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jam, if needed.
  10. Clean rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
  11. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  12. Put in water bath canner.
  13. Fill remaining jars until jam mixture is gone.
  14. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  15. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  16. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  17. Wash jars and store without bands on.
Image of 6 jars filled with various color fillings.

Canning Supplies I Love!

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If you’re serious about canning, check out this list of my must-have canning supplies! Now, you don’t necessarily need any of these items (except maybe the jar lifter), but they sure make life easier and canning projects go by faster!

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What Canning Supplies Do I Absolutely NEED?

The simple answer is that you need jars, lids, bands, and a large pot that will allow water to cover your jars by 1-2 inches for water bath canning. That’s really all you need!

Video

But, after probably hundreds of canning projects, I have discovered a few canning supplies that are completely worth the investment if canning is going to be a part of your preserving plan. By “investment,” I don’t mean to imply that any of these canning supplies are necessarily pricey. But they do have a cost and take up precious space in your kitchen or wherever you store your canning items.

For me, these are the items that are worth spending money on and giving space up for!

  • Cherry Pitter – If you plan on using fresh cherries for a canning project, you’ll be so happy you bought this cherry pitter! It pits 6 cherries at a time! I love it for making Chocolate Cherry Preserves, which is one of my family’s favorites!
  • Jar Lifter – This might be the one canning supply you actually do need. It helps you put jars in and take jars out of boiling water. If you don’t have a jar lifter, I don’t know how you’ll be able to remove the jars after processing!
  • Heat Resistant Gloves – These aren’t really a necessity either, but I use them almost every single time I can and they have definitely kept me from getting burned! If you plan on using reusable canning lids, such as the Tattler reusable lids, then I really do recommend getting some of these gloves. Tattler reusable lids require you to tighten the bands after your jars have processed, and these help protect your hands from those hot jars.
  • Bottle for vinegar to wipe rims of jars – This one is definitely not necessary, but it has helped me save time, money, and a LOT of messes! Gone are the days of trying to carefully dump vinegar on a paper towel just to have half of of the bottle dump all over the countertop, the floor, and me!
  • Canning Funnel – This canning funnel is my favorite because it has headspace measurements on it! It’s also very heavy duty, which is a must if you’re not going to use stainless steel, as you’ll be working with super hot jams and jellies at times!
Picture is a loaf of carrot cake with a slice cut off. They are pictured on a black plate.

Delicious Carrot Cake

When I harvested my winter carrots, I knew I had to use those sweet carrots for my delicious carrot cake recipe! This cake is so moist and warm from the cinnamon that my grandpa told my mom to hide it from everyone else so they wouldn’t eat it all!

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Why Carrot Cake?

I decided to make carrot cake with my winter carrots because I could shred them quickly with my 8-cup capacity food processor and then freeze them in 2-cup portions. Any time I want to make this recipe, I just pull out a reusable bag and get to baking! Even in the spring, when carrots aren’t in season, I’ll be able to use fresh (then frozen) from the garden carrots!

Can I Add Nuts or Raisins?

Yes, you can add up to one cup of nuts and/or raisins to this recipe! I really wanted the carrots to shine since they’re homegrown, so I didn’t add anything.

Recipe Video