A week or so ago I posted a couple of updates about a marathon canning session due to some free produce we acquired. Twenty four pints of plum jam are one of the fruits (pun intended) of our labor. I only made a few pints the first time around, but it came out so well we did twenty one more. Plum jam isn't something you hear about every day and quite frankly I am surprised. We are not big jam eaters here, but I can foresee several uses for this recipe beyond your typical pb&j application. Currently I am planning to use it as a base for a liqueur, barbecue sauce for pork ribs and glaze for roasted meats. We used the Damson Plum recipe out of the Ball Blue Book and as it turns out I believe these are actually Damson Plums, though I didn't know it at the time.
No Pectin Plum Jam (yields three pints)
5 c coarsely chopped plums
3 c sugar
1/2 c water
We used our food processor to chop the plums. Combine plums, sugar, and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.. Cook rapidly to the gelling point. This takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and skim any foam. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
We changed two things. We used less water than the original recipe calls for because the cooking time is a little long and I processed my jars in a pressure canner for 10 minutes. By 'no pectin' I really mean no pectin added. Plums are naturally high in pectin and if you are patient, you don't need to add any. I prefer not to add anything besides simple ingredients to any of my food if not absolutely necessary.
I haven't done anything with the jam yet, but you can bet it will show up in at least one recipe here at some point. Enjoy,
TTFN
B
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