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1 large sauce pan
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1 food mill or Chinois
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1 small sauce pan
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1 dozen Half-Pint canning jars, lids and screw tops.
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1 tall enamel pan with lid for water bath
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Canning funnel
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Ladle
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Wooden Spoon
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Directions:
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Now is the time to de-stem and get the pit out of the cherries if you wish. If you are like me, you just dump it all into a big pot.
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Put in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil on medium heat then turn down and simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Ladle out cherries and either grind through the food mill or tamp through the Chinois until you have 6 Cups of fruit. If you don’t have enough, then pour the water from the boiling pot through cheesecloth until it is translucent and add to the fruit until it equals 6 cups.
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Set aside.
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Roughly chop the pecans and toast them in a small skillet.
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Thoroughly wash the large sauce pan and dry.
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Fill water bath canner to about 2/3 full and set on back burner of stove with medium heat – until it boils then turn it down to a simmer till needed.
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Put the fruit, butter and pectin (if using) into the clean large sauce pan and turn heat on high.
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Stir constantly until it comes to a hard boil.
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Add sugar all at once and commence stirring bringing it back to a boil once more (of 212F if not using pectin) and allow to boil (or stay steady at 212F) for 1 full minute.
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Remove pot from burner and stir in pecans.
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Using canning funnel and ladle fill jars with jam up to ¼ inch space left at top – no more, no less.
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After boiling the flats, put one on top of each jar then screw on lid to finger tip tightness.
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Place several in the water bath, turning heat back up to boiling and allow to process for 15 minutes.
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Set jars on towel in a non-drafty place for 24 hours.
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If you want the pecans evenly distributed, every 30 minutes, turn the jars upside down – leave for 30 minutes and turn jars right side up and so one for about 4 hours.