JOANNA'S FOOD: family cooking, from scratch, every day


Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Plum jam

Both our plum trees failed to produce any fruit this year - I think they were frosted in the spring. But there are plenty of plums in the market at the moment. The little hard ones which aren't much good for eating are cheap - and brilliant for making jam. I bought small Sungolds for this jam, and the plums were cheaper than the sugar.

I've been eating this with a slice of homemade wholemeal bread for breakfast every day this week. No butter/marge - no need, it would only mask the fresh flavour.

Plum jam
for about 2.5 kg

1.5kg plums
1.25kg sugar

Halve and stone the plums. Simmer them in 400ml of water until they are cooked through (once you put in the sugar, they won't soften any more) - 15/20 minutes. Add the sugar, bring to the boil and cook rapidly until setting point is reached. This will take at least 10 minutes.

Test: I use a thermometer AND the saucer method (put a drop of jam on a saucer, wait til it's cool, then see how runny it is). You want quite a firm set. Bottle in sterilised jars (put them through a dishwasher cycle). Cover while hot; label when cold (otherwise the glue melts).


This is my entry for Heart of the Matter's September topic: preserving the harvest. Hosted by Michelle The Accidental Scientist.

5 comments:

Wendy said...

My own plum tree was very generous this year and I made this jam last week too. Also going to blog about it. It is very fresh, isn't it?

Joanna said...

Yes - somehow the sugar brings out the flavour of a plum. How much sugar do you use? There's a balance between less sugar and keeping quality, and I'm always keen to experiment

Joanna

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

That is perfect for preserving the harvest Joanna! How I would love this on some fresh French bread and the next day some brioche!

Wendy said...

My recipe is exactly the same as yours in terms of sugar to plum ratio. Any less and it doesn't set well or keep long. My plums are quite sweet so I add the juice of one lemon too.

Joanna said...

Wendy I think my jam would have been better for a little lemon juice to sharpen it up ... next time - thanks for the reminder :)

Joanna