I have to admit that I didn't grow up eating cherries, unless you count the one that was in the can of fruit cocktail or the canned mass that is sickeningly oversweetened to use as pie filling. 

As I got older I thought of buying some fresh, but they were always expensive and then there was the whole pit issue as well.  So I never really tried them.

This year, since discovering Pomona's pectin, I've been anxiously looking for time to experiment with different jams, jelly and various spreads.  So when I saw cherries on sale I figured now was as good as any time to figure them out.

I probably could have pitted mine with the food mill, but instead I invested with a handy gadget that the kids can use to pit them while I assemble other things, and yes, it worked really well....

I decided to make some cherry butter.  I found an online recipe, but as always, I changed it around alot, and this is what I came up with.  To pulp the cherries I ran them thru the food mill on the largest setting after taking out the pits... if this is wrong or un-necessary, please remember I am a cherry novice and pretty much made the whole thing up as I went along....   This also goes very quickly, so have all your stuff handy.

Cherry Butter....

4 cups cherries, pitted and pulped Mine were labelled and tasted sweet

2-3/4 cups sugar, yes, I used the white stuff....

4 tsp of Pomona's calcium water

2 TBS butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 tsp Pomona's pectin

1/2 cup lemon juice

............................................................

1. Mix the cherry pulp and sugar and calcium water together.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Stir constantly while cooking to dissolve the sugar and keep from scorching. 

2. Add the butter to settle the foam.

3. Add cinnamon and almond extract when all sugar is dissolved and stir well.

4. Combine the pectin with the lemon juice,  (use quickly as it will solidify) and add it to the cherry mixture.  Return to a boil stirring with a whisk vigorously for 3 minutes.  Reduce heat.

5. Can as desired.  This made about 5 cups of cherry butter that I processed for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.