My Plum Jam Recipe

I have come across many recipes for plum jam and have had one or two disasters. One recipe called for boiling the recipe with the sugar for 20minutes. As you can imagine you end up with plum toffee! So this recipe is my own and it seems to work for me:



Ingredients:


1kg Plums


1kg Preserving Sugar





Put a saucer in the fridge to test the jam for setting. Have ready at least 4 jam jars washed and sterilised - I put mine in the oven directly after using it, but switched off. Cut plums into quarters and twist to pull out the stone (This is messy so wear an apron and have a cloth on stand by!). Put the flesh in a preserving pan with all the juice and skins, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes (The skins will boil down with the rest of the plums).

Add the sugar and dissolve gently. Do not let it boil at this stage. When sugar has dissolved bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 3 minutes, take off the heat and put a teaspoon on the cold saucer to test for setting. If the jam is not set boil rapidly for a further minute and test again. Take off the heat and bottle immediately. It is advisable to try and get hold of a jam funnel - I was balancing a ladle, the pan and the bottles wrapped in kitchen paper as they were hot - not a good idea as I scalded my fingers twice.

Jam Making

I recently bough a new book called Homemade, and I think it is absolutely fantastic. There are loads of ideas for makes in it based around the 4 seasons. I just had to have a go at the strawberry jam and homemade scones.

The first time I made jam I was 17 and just left home. It was banana jam and it turned out absolutely awful. In fact it was safe to say that it resembled mashed banana with sugar.

However I followed the instructions for strawberry jam in Homemade to the letter and the result was fantastic. It's definitely jam! And it tastes yummy.

I have now borrowed a book from the library and I intend to make a lot more jams and chutney's. Just watch this space!