Cherry Marmalade

Makes about 2½ cups

4 cups pitted sweet cherries or 2 1/2-ounce packages frozen sweet cherries, thawed

1 orange, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1. Sterilize jars and lids.

2. Roughly chop three-quarters of the cherries; place them in a medium, nonreactive saucepan with the whole cherries, orange, lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, 20 to 30 minutes, or until the orange peel is tender.

3. Stir in sugar. Raise heat to medium-high; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. A drop of jam, placed on a cold plate in the freezer for 5 minutes, should wrinkle when pressed.

4. Cool 5 minutes, then ladle into jars and seal. Process jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.

-- Elizabeth Field, "Marmalade" (Running Press, $18, 192 pages)