Spiced Purple Plum Jam Recipes

SPICED PURPLE PLUM JAM

Steps:

• Submerge 6 empty half-pint jars on a rack in a large pot of water. Cover and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low to keep jars warm until ready to fill.
• Tumble plums, lemon zest, and lemon juice into a wide, nonreactive 8-quart pot. Whisk together sugar, pectin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl, then stir into pot until combined.
• Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook, stirring frequently and adjusting heat as needed to maintain a gentle boil, until volume has reduced by at least one-third, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pot from heat and check for set.
• Working with one jar at a time, remove empty jars from canning pot. Using a wide-mouth funnel, carefully ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/2 inch for headspace. Use a clean wooden chopstick to work air bubbles out of jars. Check headspace again and add more jam if necessary to bring to 1/2 inch from the top.
• Wipe jar rims, apply lids and bands (not too tightly), and return jars to canning pot; cover pot and return water to a rolling boil. Process 10 minutes. Turn off heat, remove pot lid, and let jars stand in the cooling water 5 minutes to help ensure a good vacuum seal.
• Move jars to a folded kitchen towel or wooden cutting board to cool completely before checking seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and eaten promptly. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place. They are shelf-stable at least 1 year.

SPICED PLUM JAM FROM FRESH PLUMS

Steps:

• Wash the plums well. To remove the seeds - first cut the plum in half. Next, cut the plum half with the seed, in half again (into quarters). One of these quarters will have the seed attached, which you can easily pull out. Alternatively, you can cut the plum flesh around the seed.
• Repeat with all the plums.
• Cut all the plums into 1 inch chunks (roughly). It's OK if the plums are a little crushed at this point, since they will be cooked down anyway.
• WEIGH the chopped plums, so you can decide how much sugar needs to be added. Place the plums in a large bowl (large enough to accommodate the sugar that will be mixed in too).
• Add sugar, salt, lemon juice and spices into the bowl. Mix well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours (or up to 48 hours). Also, place some small saucers / bowls / spoons in the freezer for the jam test (explained below).
• When you're ready to cook the jam, scrape all of the plum-sugar mix into a large pot. Add the grated apple and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir the mixture to let it heat evenly. Lower the heat to medium - medium low, and cook until the fruits start to soften.
• MASH the plums with a potato masher, OR you can pass about ¾ of the mix through a food mill (this will remove the skins).
• Continue to cook the plums until the mixture reduces and starts to thicken slightly. Stir frequently to prevent the jam from sticking to the bottom and burning. While the jam is cooking, sterilize some heat-proof jam jars and lids.
• Check the temperature of the plum jam every 10 - 15 minutes (more frequently as it thickens more). Cook the jam until the temperature reaches 220°F (105°C).
• If you don't have a thermometer, you can perform the JAM TEST. To do this, drop a little jam on a frozen surface (saucer / bowl / spoon). Then keep it in the freezer for about a minute and check the consistency. If the consistency is jelly-like without being runny, then you've cooked the jam to the right temperature. (If you run a finger through the jam to create a streak, the jam shouldn't join back up in the middle to fill the streak, if it's at the right consistency).
• Remove the pot from the heat.
• Using clean tongs, clean ladles and clean paper towels, carefully ladle hot jam into the hot, sterilized jars. Please be careful, as the jam and jars will be very hot at this stage (wear gloves or oven mitts to protect yourself).
• Screw on the lids while the jars are hot. As the jam and jars cool down, this will create a seal.
• Allow the jars to cool to room temperature completely. Then label and store.

RACHEL'S SUGAR PLUM SPICE JAM

Steps:

• Place the plums, pineapple, apple juice, orange juice concentrate, and lemon juice into a large pot over medium-low heat, cover, and cook until the plums are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Mash the plums and pineapple with a potato masher until thoroughly broken up, but leave small chunks of fruit in the mixture. With the fruit mixture at a slow simmer, stir in the cloves, allspice, pectin, and butter (to reduce foaming). Raise heat to high and bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Mix in the sugar, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 more minute at a full, rolling boil. Remove from heat, stir in red food coloring until even in color, and skim off any foam.
• Sterilize 12-ounce canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the plum jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

PLUM JAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Wash the plums in running water. Put 1-2 small ceramic plates in the freezer. This plate will be used to check the jam is cooked enough to set or not.
• In this recipe, around 1 lb plums (4 regular size plum) are used to get 2½ cups chopped plums. Cut plums into halves and remove the pit. Chop them into small pieces.
• Heat plum pieces, lemon juice and sugar in a deep pan over medium heat.
• Stir continuously to completely dissolve the sugar, it will take approx. 4-5 minutes. If plums are not juicy enough, add 2 tablespoons water to dissolve the sugar.
• Let the mixture cook over medium heat. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until plum becomes soft and tender. Stir occasionally in between to prevent sticking. The color of the plum pieces will turn darker when they cooked.
• Cook until mixture turns thick.
• Remove pan from heat and allow mixture to rest for 1-2 minutes. Almost 1½ cups jam will be prepared. Plum jam is ready for any time relish. You can store it in an airtight container in refrigerator without canning process or follow the given steps for canning process.
• For canning process, pour prepared hot mix into sterilized jar. Leave 1/2 inch space in jar and seal with lids. Process jar for 8-10 minutes in boiling water bath. Let it cool and store in a cool, dark place for long term storage.