Homemade Easy Plum Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you remove skin from plums before making jam? ›

The skins completely broke down during the cooking process into a deliciously sweet jam. The skins also contain a lot of pectin, which helps the jam gel. So here's my advice: leave the skin on the 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.

Fruit preserves refer to fruit or vegetables that have been prepared, canned or jarred for long term storage. Jam refers to a product made with whole fruit, cut into pieces or crushed. Preserves contain chunks of fruits but jams do not; jams contain fruit pulp.

Continue stirring the plums and sugar until the fruit starts to turn translucent. At this time, taste for sweetness. Take a small amount of the (still liquid) jam in a teaspoon, cool and taste it. If it tastes too sour for your liking, add a teaspoon or two more of sugar and continue cooking.

Homemade fruit preserves can last for up to year or even longer if it is unopened and stored in a cool, dry place, such as a pantry or kitchen cupboard. However the flavour and texture of your jam will start to deteriorate after around 6 months, even if you keep them tightly sealed.

Wash and dry the plums gently, then cut them in half to remove the stones. From here you can freeze them whole or slice them first, which makes them easier to use.

Over-ripe or damaged fruit is not ideal - the jam will not set well and is likely to deteriorate rapidly. The amount of sugar you need to make jam depends on the amount of pectin in your chosen fruit, but generally the fruit-to-sugar ratio for traditional jams is 1:1 (ie. 450g/1lb sugar to 450g/1lb fruit).

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

European plums, aka prune plums, are mainly grown to be turned into dried plums. Their thick skins, high sugar content, and dense flesh make them ideal for drying, and best for baking and jam-making.

Why is my plum jam so thick? ›

So if you use pieces of fruit or whole berries, you are actually using less fruit than if it were mashed, or cooked to a mash and then measured, and you will get a firmer jell. Or you may have used more pectin than the recipe called for. For example, if you used Tablespoons of pectin rather than teaspoons.

Plums are a really versatile fruit to cook with. Use to add a tart sweetness in classic puds like plum crumbles, tarts or cakes. For a simple dessert, plums can be drizzled with honey and baked in the oven until soft or alternatively you can stew plums gently on top of the stove with a little sugar and water.

We are relying in part on the natural pectin in the fruit to set the jam, but we will benefit from a little pectin boost. Although we are not adding powdered pectin, we will add citric acid or lemon juice to the jam. This gives an additional pop of pectin but also some acidity that balances the sweetness of the jam.

Lemon juice contains natural pectin, a substance found in the cell walls of fruits that helps to thicken and set the jam or jelly. Pectin is crucial for achieving the desired consistency and texture in jams and jellies.

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

The skin is edible, but if you want raw plums without the skin, drop into into boiling water for around 15 seconds, then plunge immediately into cold water and it should come away easily. If you're cooking plums, they're easier to skin afterwards.

The skin of the plum is safe to eat and provides a sharper flavor than the flesh. Slice the plum into wedges for breakfast, salads, or smoothies.

Gently rinse your plums in cool water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Damson, wild, and Italian plums will work for your water bath canning. If you are canning whole plums, nick the skin to allow for expansion; otherwise, cut the plums in half and remove the pits.

Prep tips: If you are using plum slices or halves in a pie or tart, leave the skins intact; they give the finished dish a pretty color. But if you're making a plum puree for an ice cream, jelly or jam, the skins will be too tart and should be removed.