Wednesday September 18th

My preserving continues. Today I made some lovely Plum Jam... using fruit from my neighbours tree.. and they were a great success

Lovely colour... sets well... tastes lush... and not too sweet

Im Happy

Plum Jam

2 kg (4 ½ pounds) plums - prepared weight 
½ cup (125 ml) water
1 ½ kg (3 ⅓ pounds) granulated sugar 
1 ½ tablespoon (30 ml) lemon juice

To Sterilise the Jars:

• Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270F). 
• Make sure that the glass jars do not have cracks or chips.
• Discard any lids that are pitted or rusted and are oven safe . 
• Wash the jars and lids. either by hand, in hot, soapy water and then rinsing well... or  wash in the dishwasher.
• Place jars and lids on a baking tray and heat in the oven for at least 20 minutes. 
• The jars and lids should be completely dry and remain very hot.

To Make the Jam:

• Place 2 small plates or saucers in the freezer to chill 
• Wash the plums and remove any blemishes. 

• Halve the plums and use the tip of the knife to remove the stones.
• Cut the halves in half again. for chunky jam or into eighths for a smooth result
• Place the plums and water in a large, wide saucepan. 
• Bring the plums to a simmer over low-medium heat. 
• Stir occasionally using a long-handled wooden spoon.
• Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the plums are soft, 15-20 minutes. 
• At this stage, if you prefer less chunky jam, you could blend it using a hand-held stick blender. 
• Take off the heat to do this.
• Add the sugar and lemon juice. 
• Stir frequently, with the saucepan uncovered, until the sugar dissolves.
• If using a thermometer to check for setting point clip the thermometer to the side of your pan. 
• Increase the heat and bring to a rolling boil for 5-15 minutes but boiling time will vary depending on the size of your saucepan and the heat that you apply.

• You need to be vigilant at this point and stir frequently to avoid the jam catching and burning on the bottom of the pan. 
• When the thermometer reads 104C (220F) the jam is ready.
• If no thermometer after about 5 minutes rapid boiling, turn the heat off under the jam.
• Spoon a small amount of jam onto a chilled plate or saucer to check if it is starting to set. 
• When the jam has cooled, push it gently with your fingertip. 
• If it wrinkles, even slightly, it is ready.
• If it remains liquid, put the jam back on the heat for a further 5 minutes and check again. .
• When the jam reaches setting point, remove the pan from the heat and if there is any scum on the surface of the jam, add a teaspoon of butter and stir well. It will dissolve the scum.
• Let the jam stand for about 10 minutes to allow the fruit to settle. 

• The jam will still be liquid when you ladle it into your jars. 
• Stir the jam and carefully ladle it into the heated, sterilised jars. Hot jam can cause serious burns
• Immediately seal the jars tightly with sterilised lids.
• It can take up to 48 hours to completely set.
• When cool, remove any spills from the jars and label with the date and name.

• Store the jam in a cool, dark place and refrigerate after opening

Love and Hugs

Phoebe x