Cherry Pie Preserves - Pastry Chef Online

Plump cherries in glossy syrup with vanilla and a hint of mace give these easy preserves the irresistible flavor of old-fashioned cherry pie.

900 grams cherries (2 pounds or 5-6 cups, washed and pitted, sweet and/or sour, fresh or frozen)
540 grams granulated sugar (19 ounces or 2 2/3 cups + 1 Tablespoon)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 vanilla bean
1/8 teaspoon mace (optional, or substitute nutmeg, cinnamon, or almond extract (see "Ingredients" section of post))

Split and scrape the 1/4 vanilla bean. You'll be using the pod and the "innards" so don't throw anything away.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients: cherries, sugar, lemon juice, salt, split/scraped vanilla bean, and mace. Stir well.
Cover and let macerate at room temperature until very soupy, 4-6 hours or overnight. If macerating overnight, refrigerate them.
Once soupy and loose, strain the mixture through a mesh strainer into a large saucepan or saucier. Reserve the cherries.
Over medium heat, bring the juices to a boil and cook to 220° F / 104.4° C.
Add the reserved cherries to the syrup and continue cooking, stirring frequently but gently to avoid crushing the cherries, until the mixture reaches 223° F / 106° C. Skim off any foam that rises to the top. (See Notes for instructions on making jam rather than preserves)
Fish out the vanilla bean, scrape it down to get all the cherry goodness off of it, and then discard. It has given its all to this project.
Pour into very clean jars or a large bowl, cover, and let cool. Refrigerate for 48 hours to allow peak set, but it's also okay if you need to dive in immediately.