Sour Plum Jam

I really love jam making time, and watching the pantry shelves fill up with jewel-like jars of sweetness.  My Sour Plum Jam is one of my favorites because it's not overly sweet, as most jams are, and its uses are really versatile.

Ingredients

• 8 cups Italian plums (seeded, and cut into fourths)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Directions

	Add ingredients into a large stockpot. Cook at medium high heat until boiling.
	Once mixture begins to boil, stir often to ensure ingredients don't burn. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.
	After 20 minutes, the mixture will have broken down quite a bit. To help it along, stir and mash with a potato masher.
	Cook until the mixture coats a mixing spoon, and reaches a consistency to your liking.
	(It should take a couple of seconds for the jam to drip off the spoon).
	Ladle mixture into clean, hot pint-sized canning jars, leaving a 1/4” headspace. Top with canning lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 pints. (Can 2 pints and refrigerate the remaining 1/2 for immediate use or double the batch to make 5 pints).

Note

Fruit that is slightly under-ripe contains more pectin than ripe fruit.  I recommend using about 1 cup of slightly under-ripe plums.

Don't use overly ripe fruit.  It will make your jam too runny.

The pectin is concentrated in the skins, so it's a must that the skins are left on for this jam.

If you are unable to find any slightly under-ripe plums, grate in 1/2 cup of sour apple skins.  They'll cook down nicely and will work as a great natural thickener.

Uses:

Serve with scones

Use as a dip for cinnamon donut holes, along with sweetened mascarpone cheese

Use as a filling for your favorite layer cake

Serve with savory pork chops

Fill mini shortbread tarts, available at the market, for an impromptu treat

Make jelly donuts!

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Comments

[Holly]

Holy Cow, does that ever look good!

[FrenchGardenHouse]

Serena, thanks so much for sharing that recipe, that looks so very very good! There are lots of times when we get so many plums {from our neighbor's tree} and this is the perfect way to DO something with them. xo Lidy

[Monica]

I love plum jam, and yours looks delicious!!

[Northern Girl Knits]

That looks scrumptious!

[Lolo]

Ok, seriously woman- do you have a clone?! How the heck do u do it all?! You are truly amazing....
I really love plums, but have never made plum jam. This recipe looks yummy - definitely gonna try it.
OMG - plum jelly donuts *sigh*
XOX

[Ada]

looks delish

[Joanne Kennedy]

Oh man! That sounds so good. I would want to make way more then only two pints though :)

[Pam]

Oh Serena...some days I really think it is amazing the things you bring to us...My great grandmother used to make plum jam and it was tart like you described...I did not get to learn her recipie and no one else makes it in our family. I've tried all kinds in stores and farmers markets and they just aren't the same. I can't wait to try your recipie this weekend because it looks like hers did. Thanks Sooo much!

[Grace~katmom~Brown]

Oh I love Italian Plum/Prune...Hubby & I planted 3, lost one to the gophers & the deer are seriously trying to do 'Deerdamage' to the other 2...uugghhh!
Gotta love living on "Green Acres"...lol!

Quick Q&A.... when is next years F.C. show? I went ahead & reserved my camp site @ Riverside(Bowl & Pitcher) for the 1st weekend of June, 2-5...hoping I did right, another 'sister' 'Sisters on the Fly' booked her's today as well.....I want to get the word out again so we "sisters' can Glamp & Shop.....
Oh & what a delight it was to have Jo Puckham(sp) come visit us at the campsite this summer. Inspiration came to us....and she was so sweet.

gracie aka sister #472

[Sarah Callaway]

Serena!! You are an amazing inspiration to so many women. I love all your posts. You truly have a beautiful heart that shows through everything you do. Keep up the good work =)

[Melissa Bailey]

Sounds SO good! I just made my first batch of preserves a few weeks ago and totally get the feeling you described seeing all those jars line the shelves. So pretty! I can't wait to try making yours myself! As soon as I can get my hands on some Italian Plums, I'm on it!

[Tonia]

Yum! Oh, making jam just makes me feel so cozy & blissful inside. We do not have Italian plums here - do you think regular plums would work?

Thanks so much for all your inspiration.

[katie kirby]

Sounds and looks delicious! I've been searching for a good jam recipe for ages so thank you!

[Dawn... The Bohemian]

I JUST bought your cookbook "The Farm Chicks In The Kitchen" and can't wait to try out some of the delicious looking recipies! I loved the beautiful photography of found Treasures sprinkled throughout the book too and instructions on how to make some of our own.

Dawn... The Bohemian

[{oc cottage}]

Ohhhhhhhhh my stars!

m ^..^

[Faith Hepworth]

made this today is very nice but the kids said it needs to be sweeter, so have made a bigger batch and added pears and extra sugar. Also im quite lazy so didnt de-stone the plums first just cooked it then seived it to remove stones then recooked it before jar-ing it. Kids review is that its "perfect". Yah!!!!

[SallaD]

I've just been looking for help with a plum jam that has turned out bitter, it is sweet but has a bitter after taste. Why is that? and can i do anything to change it?
Was it the type of plums I used?

[Tracy Jobe]

I just made this jam and it is so good. I will be making this every year. Thank you for sharing your recipe.