How to Make Plum Jam

If you have an overflowing basket of of ripe, juicy plums and need a great plum jam recipe, learning how to make plum jam can be quite helpful. Homemade plum jam is simple to make and enjoyed by many in various ways.

Fresh plums are only in season for a short period of time. You can enjoy their taste all year long in a batch of plum jam. Making plum jam is as simple as cooking down fresh plums with a mixture of water and sugar. Lemon juice is also commonly added, which acts as a natural preservative to prevent the jam from spoiling. After cooking until the mixture reaches a safe temperature, the jam is cooled, enjoyed or canned to freeze or serve later. A number of secondary flavors can also be added, including cinnamon, cloves, vanilla or other fruits like peaches and nectarines.

Plum jam can be spread on a pastry shell and topped with sweetened whipped cream for a quick dessert. Plum jam is also a breakfast favorite, served with toast, homemade muffins or biscuits.

Italian Plum Jam

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Episode #39 - Plum Jam

source: www.youtube.com

Home chefs demonstrate a variation of the classic recipe, Italian plum jam, using plums, sugar and grappa. They demonstrate how to slice the plums, remove the pits and combine the ingredients to make the sweet treat. They recommended a ratio of plums to fruit of two parts of plums to one part of sugar by weight. The plums and sugar are cooked at a low heat for three hours to caramelize the sugar, then placed in jars and topped with grappa.

Step 1: Gather Plum Jam Ingredients and Equipment

Lay out all the plum jam ingredients and equipment before you begin to cook.

Ingredients

4 cups plums, washed and chopped (about 2 pounds)
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice

Equipment

Saucepan with a heavy bottom
Large stiff spoon
Cooking thermometer
Jars or containers to store the jam

Step 2: Make Plum Jam

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan with a heavy bottom.http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html
Bring the plums and sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html
Insert a thermometer into the jam when it begins to boil, and raise the heat to medium high.http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html
Continue cooking; stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 220°F.http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html
Remove from heat and cool.http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html
Refrigerate jam; freeze or process in a hot water bath for longer storage.http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can_07/plum_jam.html

Step 3: Experiment with Plum Jam Variations

Wrap 10 cloves and a cinnamon stick in cheesecloth and boil with the plums to make a spiced plum jam. Remove the cheesecloth bundle after cooking.
Substitute peaches or nectarines for some of the plums.
Cook a vanilla bean with the plums, removing it after the jam is thickened.
You can use yellow plums instead of purple, if desired. The flavor will be the same.