Directions

Wash jars, bands, and lids well. Place jam jars in water bath canner filled 1/2 way with water. Bring water to a rolling boil.  Turn off the burner and leave jars in canner until ready to use.

Place lids and bands in water in a small saucepan and heat until water simmers.  keep lids & bands in warm water until ready to use.

If using fresh cherries, pit before adding to a large saucepan.  If using frozen measure and just pour right in.

Add lemon juice and calcium water and blend in well.

In a bowl add monk sugar and agar agar and blend well.

Heat the cherries in the saucepan over medium heat.  As they start to soften, mash with the back of a fork, or use a potato masher.  I like to leave a few whole cherries in my jam, but mash to the consistency that you like.  Bring cherries to a boil.

Add agar-sweetener mixture, continuing to mix for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the agar while the jam comes back up to a boil.  Boil for 1 full minute once the jam reaches the boiling stage.

Fill jam jars to ¼” to the top.  Clean rims with a clean cloth.  Add lids and twist bands until finger tight.

Add jars to the water bath canner when the water in the canner reaches a full boil.  Boil 10 full minutes (add 1 minute more for every 1,000 ft. above sea level).

Remove from water. Let jars cool undisturbed for 24 hours.

Test for seal, if a jar did not seal, you can reprocess it again in the canner for 10 full minutes, or add that jar to the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.