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Ingredients for
PLUM JAM
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Yield: 8-9
cups
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Plums, Finely
Diced (Fresh or Frozen)
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1.6kg (3 1/2 pounds)
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Water
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1/4 cup
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Powdered
Pectin (i.e. JamSetta)
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50g (1 sachet)
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White Sugar
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1.6kg (3 1/2 pounds)
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1. Clean jars (or bottles) and equipment by washing in hot soapy water and rinsing
well before use.
2. Wash plums and drain well. OPTIONAL: Dip plums in boiling water for 30-60 seconds to slip off their skins, or peel manually and use the peels for another preserving recipe (you can leave plums skins on if you wish, they do add more colour to the jam, especially if the plum flesh is pale). Remove stems and blemishes. Cut plums in half, remove pits and dice.
If using frozen plums: place frozen plums into a bowl and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Any juice in the bowl will be added to the recipe as part of the fruit weight.
3. Prepare jars (if they require pre-heating, i.e. twist top jars) in a pot lined with a cloth. Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill.
4. Place lids into a bowl. Cover with boiling
water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the
jars to seal.
5. Measure the plums and
water into a large pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer gently (uncovered) for 15 minutes
or until plums are soft, stirring every now and then. Remove
from heat. Carefully blend into a puree using a stick blender in the pan
(for a smooth jam) or mash by hand for a rustic/artisan jam texture.
6. Sprinkle powdered pectin (i.e. JamSetta) over the surface of the plum puree and whisk well. Bring to a boil.
7. Add room temperature sugar to the pan all at once. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.
8. Boil the plum jam as hard as possible for 1
minute (begin timing once it is boiling
hard – known as a rolling
boil. It cannot be stirred down).
9. Remove the jam pan from heat. Discard any foam that appears on the surface of the jam.
10. Remove jars from hot water and place onto a heatproof surface i.e. tea towel or wood board.
11. Immediately ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, filling to 0.5cm (1/4 inch) from the rim.
TIP: use a jug and jar funnel to fill jars.
12. Using a non-metal utensil, remove any air pockets and add more jam if required.
13. Wipe rims with a clean, damp cloth to remove any jam residue.
14. Remove lids from hot water and seal jars i.e. twist to secure “fingertip tight”.
15. Place sealed jars into a pot of boiling water and boil for the processing time stated below. Start the timer once the water comes to a full boil.
16. Turn off the heat source once the time is up. Remove jars from hot water after 5 more minutes. Cool jars overnight on a heatproof surface. Do not adjust lids during this time.
17. The next day, check jars have sealed before labelling and dating.
18. Store jars of plum jam in a cool, dark and dry place for up to 12 months (lower-sugar jam will not keep as long). Jar lids should not flex up or down when pressed.
19. Refrigerate jars upon opening and consume contents within 6-8 weeks.
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Processing Time for PLUM JAM in a Boiling Water
Canner
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Jar Size
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Altitude
≤ 1,000
feet
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Altitude
1,001
- 3,000 feet
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Altitude
3,001
- 6,000 feet
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Altitude
≥ 6,000
feet
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Hot
Pack
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≤ 1 Litre
(quarts)
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5
minutes
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10
minutes
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10
minutes
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15
minutes
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o Low-sugar, pectin jam: use no/low-sugar pectin instead to cut the sugar in our recipe back to 1/2 cup (or to taste) then follow processing method above. Remember reducing the sugar does affect the jam consistency (and reduces the storage to 4-6 months) so trial with a small batch of jam first.
o Remove skins from your jam by running through a fine sieve before adding the sugar.