Sour Cherry preserves for Bonnie's Jams- finally!

Some years it seems as if summer will never arrive. And I only know the seasons by the fruits for jam and if sour cherries are in the market, I know the summer is launched! But pain often accompanies pleasure and cherries, like life, come with pits. I may be too philosophical here but try facing a large batch of cherries with pits. A task that looms gloomy, messy and large. The preserves have an alchemy about them - the cherries are light red not the deep red of the usual supermarket variety. After the pitting and the first stages of cooking the batch is deep red, inte- nse, slightly sweet but also a little bitter. Worth the work and the wait. Like life most of the time.