Remove husks of ground cherries and rinse. Remove any fruit with black spots or mold.
Place cherries, sugar, and lemon juice in heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil and stir occasionally.
Lower heat to medium and continue to stir occasionally until all cherries have burst and dissolved, about 30 minutes or so.
If using ginger, add to pot in the last ten minutes.
Remove pot from heat and let cool down, it will continue to thicken. Once cooled, this can be stored in the refrigerator. If you make a lot, feel free to can it - My jam just never lasts that long to do that!
Enjoy on your favorite cracker (whether it’s gluten free, Whole 30 compliant…), on grilled chicken, with sharp cheddar or chunks of parmigiana cheese, or along with a charcuterie platter.