My boss gave me a bag of italian prune plums…ages ago. They have been in my fridge and unbelievably are still yummy. But I have lots of them, so I have decided to try and make plum jam with them. I have never made jam without pectin before, so I am a little leary, but here goes!!! Sorry I didn’t take pictures as I went, it was a long day canning and I was doing way too many things at once.
This recipe makes 7 (125 ml) jars of jam.
You will need:
2 pounds Italian prune plums or other red-fleshed plums
2 to 2 1/4 cups sugar
Peel from 1 small lemon, coarsely chopped
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 small lemon
Cut the plums in half and remove the pits, don’t worry about peeling them, the skin is part of the fun of this…you get to leave it on!!!
Cut each half into 4 pieces so that you have small chunks. Put the cut-up plums in a large bowl. Add the sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice and mix well. Let the plums stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
Have the sterilized jars and their rings and lids sterilized and ready to go. Place 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer (you will use these to test the gelling point of the jam).
Pour the plum mixture into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reducing heat to medium, and cook at a lively simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mixture has darkened and begun to thicken.
Take one of the small plates from the freezer and spoon a small amount of jam onto it. Return the plate to the freezer for 2 minutes. To test if the jam is done, nudge the mound of jam gently with your finger, it should wrinkle slightly and feel fairly thick.
Tilt the plate. The jam should be thick enough that it moves slowly and if it seems runny, it is not quite ready, continue to cook the jam for another couple of minutes and then test it again the same way.
Ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims clean if necessary with a clean, damp cloth, and screw the lids on the jars. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove the jars and set them upright on a clean kitchen towel. Within a couple of minutes you should hear the jar lids “ping” signifying that they have sealed properly.* Let the jars cool to room temperature before storing in a cool, dark place. They will keep for up to a year.
* If a jar has failed to seal properly, simply store it in the refrigerator, it will keep in the fridge for about a month.
This recipe was so easy…the jam is thick and lovely, and so easy to make. I have no idea why I haven’t made this before!! I also wouldn’t recommend taking pictures of your plum jam while you are trying to make more hot pepper jelly, and you leave it on the stove boiling, it will just make a huge mess all over and in your stove and make you swear…just saying.
Enjoy!!!!
