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cooking, the jam should be thickening and quite sticky looking. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lemon zest. Ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see page 11 ).

    Clockwise from top: Nearly Seedless Blackberry Sage Jam, Rhubarb Jam with Strawberries and Oranges, Blueberry Jam, Strawberry Vanilla Jam, Apple Cranberry Jam

ORANGE-RHUBARB BUTTER
    T HIS IS A PRESERVE FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE THE marriage of sweet and tart. The orange plays with the rhubarb beautifully and the sugar serves as flavor brightener as much as sweetener. I particularly like it stirred into Greek yogurt and topped with toasted walnuts. Occasionally, I’ll add a bit of ground cardamom to really good effect. Because this is a stovetop butter, it requires a bit more tending than ones made in the oven or slow cooker. It’s great for those days when you’ve got multiple kitchen projects going, so that the regular stirring doesn’t feel like a chore. If it starts to splash over your stove, top the pot with a splatter shield so that it can continue to cook down without making a mess.
MAKES 2 (1-PINT/500 ML) JARS
    8 cups chopped rhubarb (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg rhubarb)
    2 cups/400 g granulated sugar
    2 cups/480 ml orange juice
    Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and orange juice in a large, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it gently bubble, stirring every 5 minutes or so. If it’s sticking to the bottom of the pot, lower the heat a bit more. Continue cooking like this for at least an hour, until the butter has reduced in volume and has turned a deep, rosy color.
    Thirty minutes before the butter is finished, prepare a boiling water bath and 2 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water, and simmer over very low heat.
    When the butter is done, remove the pan from the heat and ladle the butter into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes (see page 11 ).
    The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

SWEET CHERRY BUTTER
    C HERRY-FLAVORED FOODS OFTEN GET A BAD RAP. And really, artificial cherry syrups and candies deserve every ounce of the criticism they get. Happily, this fruit butter has absolutely nothing in common with those fakers. It is rich and complex, with more in common with really good wine than cough drops. It’s important to acknowledge that pitting cherries is a lot of work. I recommend spending the money to buy a real pitter and committing to standing at the kitchen sink for the hour it will take. You’ll be grateful come January.
MAKES 2 (1-PINT/500 ML) JARS
    6 cups pitted and chopped sweet cherries (about 3 pounds/1.4 kg cherries)
    2 cups/400 g granulated sugar, divided
    Juice of 1 lemon
    Combine the cherries and 1 ½ cups/300 g of sugar in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let it gently bubble, stirring every 5 minutes or so. If it’s sticking to the bottom, lower the heat a bit more. Cook like this for at least an hour, until the butter has reduced in volume and it has taken on a deep wine color.
    Using an immersion blender (or working in batches in a blender), carefully purée the fruit. (I purée the butter after it has cooked down almost all the way because it splashes less during the cooking process this way.)
    Taste and add the remaining sugar if you feel it needs it. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. If it doesn’t seem at all watery and the texture seems sufficiently thick, the butter is done. If not, continue to cook until the butter is thick and spreadable, keeping in mind that it will thicken a bit more as it cools.
    When the butter is nearing completion, prepare a boiling water bath and 2 regular-mouth 1-pint/500 ml jars according to the process on page 10.