Ingredients

• 4 lb sour cherries, stemmed and pitted, reserving 3 tablespoons pits
• 5 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 (1 3/4-oz) box plus 3 tablespoons lower- sugar powdered pectin
• Special equipment: a cherry pitter; cheesecloth; a candy thermometer; 8 (1/2-pint) canning jars with lids and screw bands

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Instructions

1. Toss together cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
2. Wrap cherry pits in a paper towel and crack them with a rolling pin or pestle just enough to extract inner white kernels. Discard outer shells and tie white kernels in a cheesecloth bag. Stir bag into cherry mixture and chill, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
3. Sterilize jars and lids .
4. Pour cherries with liquid and cheesecloth bag into a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot (sugar will not be completely dissolved). Bring to a rolling boil over moderate heat, then boil, uncovered, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer cherries with a slotted spoon to a sieve set over a bowl to catch juice. Drain cherries 5 minutes, then add juice from bowl to juice in pot.
5. Drain jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel 1 minute, then invert. Divide cherries among jars using a slotted spoon.
6. Return juice in pot to a rolling boil, skimming off any foam. Continue boiling until juice registers 220 to 224°F on thermometer, 7 to 10 minutes. Discard cheesecloth bag.
7. Gradually add pectin, whisking constantly. Return juice to a rolling boil, then boil, skimming off any foam, 1 minute. Ladle juice into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at top, then run a thin knife between fruit and jar to eliminate air bubbles.
8. Seal, process, and store filled jars , boiling preserves in jars 10 minutes.
9. Let preserves stand in jars at least 1 day for flavors to develop.