Ingredients

• 1 kg firm sour cherries
• 1 kg caster sugar
• 300 ml water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Wash and stone the cherries. There is a special implement for this, or you can use a forked hairpin. Their stoning has to be done carefully in order to leave them intact.
• Place the stones in the water as they are taken out; at the end remove the pips from the water and discard them.
• Do not discard the water. Place the cherries and sugar in alternating layers in a wide saucepan.
• Add the water strained from the stones, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Withdraw from the heat and let it stand for 24 hours.
• Bring back to the boil, skim, add the lemon juice and boil rapidly, without stirring, until it reaches setting point.
• Store in sterilized jars and seal tightly.