HOW TO MAKE PLUM JAM AT HOME
Here's how to simply make plum jam, if you have an abundance of plums. Tastes amazing & is great with toast or my popular British Scones.
Equipment
- Large Colander
- Knife & chopping board
- Extra Large Cooking Pot
- Wooden spoon
- Sugar Thermometer (optional)
- Small sieve
- Cleaned/Sterilized jam jars (450g preserve jar/16oz x 4 approx.)
- Canning/Water bath equipment (optional)
- Labels (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 kg Plums, (already chopped & stones removed weight) (35.25 oz, 2.2 lb/ 5.5 - 6 cups approx. after cutting & removing stone)
- 2 Large Lemons (or 3 - 4 small)
- 200 grams Blackberries & strawberries (optional, or any other ripe fruit. If not using increase plums by 200g/7oz)
- 800 grams Sugar, granulated (28 oz, 4 cups)
- 240 ml Water (8 fl oz, 1 cup)
- 1 pouch Certo Premium Liquid Fruit Pectin (3 oz/177ml pouch. Or alternative jam gelling agent, as per packet directions)
Instructions
PREPARE FRUIT
- Begin by thoroughly cleaning the plums (and other fruits, including lemons). Then cut the plums into ¼ or ⅙s and remove the stone (I cut into ¼s as I used my neighbours plums which are 'Czar' variety and smaller and thinner, more oval shaped than common plums). Also cut the lemons into ¼s and any additional fruit, such as berries, trim any stalks. See Photo 1.
- Wash the fruit once more and rinse. Place a large bowl onto a scale and set to zero, before adding the plums to gauge the weight. This will help determine how much sugar to add. If you don't have scales, well pack a cup or 2 cup, and determine your total volume.
COOK THE FRUIT & SUGAR
- Add the sugar and fruit to a large cooking pot, add in 240ml/1cup/8 fl oz water and mix as best you can. On a medium heat, let the sugar dissolve & the mixture slowly come to a boil. If you have a sugar thermometer, add this to the pan before cooking. See Photo 2.
- Add in the Pectin (Certo liquid pouch),, stir to mix through and then increase the heat a little (med-high), and let the fruit come to a full rolling boil. For a true rolling boil, the volume of the mixture will rise up, and there will be a mass of bubbles. See Photo 3. Another way you can tell is when you stir, if it stops boiling and moving vigorously, then it is not a rolling boil. Apart from testing, don't stir the mixture. Keep an eye on the temperature. You want it to reach 105°c/221°f for jam. (The sugar thermometer shows the different setting temperatures for different things, including jam). Once it reaches that temperature, remove from the heat.
TEST IF THE JAM WILL SET ENOUGH
- To test if you have cooked enough and that the jam will set properly with time, perform this simple test. Place a small plate in the freezer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, place a spoons worth of the jam on to the plate and place back in the freezer. After 15 minutes, remove and perform this test. Use a finger to push the jam on the plate, away from you, and if it wrinkles it will set properly. (See photo 4). If doesn't, return the fruit back to the stove & bring to a rolling boil for longer and test again.
COOLING, SETTING & STORING
- You can leave the jam for 5 minutes before placing into sterilized jars & sealing. If you want to keep for a long time, you can also water bath/can them. Check this site on Methods Of Canning. You can also at this stage use a sieve or spoon to remove the lemon/peel. See Photo 5.
- Alternatively, if going to consume within 6 weeks, you don't even need to sterilize or water bath the jars. I like to leave the jam closed in the pan overnight, at room temperature (you could place in the fridge, but I never have room for a really big pot!) Next day, you will see how much the jam has thickened and set up. (See photo 6 & video). I added orange extract at this stage. Mixed and tasted and added more till I was happy with the flavour. (Note if you want to use spices, you can add them at the cooking stage). Transfer to the prepared jars and label.
- Store in the fridge (if you did not use a water bath) and always use a clean knife/spoon every time you use the jam. This will reduce likelihood of contamination and penicillin growing.
Video
Notes
Add lemon and or high pectin (natural gelling agent) containing fruits to help the plum jam set better.
If not using pectin equal quantity sugar to fruit should be used.
Can be directly placed into warm sterilised jars, or left at room temperature overnight and will set up well. At which point it can be placed in jars, and no sterilising is required if chilled and using within 6 weeks.
For other information and tips, please read before the recipe card.
See Printing option on this Recipe Card above, with or without the photos.