Plum Jam Recipe without Pectin
This low sugar jam is a great way to preserve ripe plums for the winter season!
Equipment
- 1 thick-bottomed pan (I used a dutch oven)
- 1 jam funnel (helps with avoiding extra mess)
- 1 immersion blender (allows for a smooth texture, no need to peel the fruit!)
- 1 Ladle
- 4 medium jars (note that I use European style of canning which allows for store-bought cans from products. Totally safe!)
- 1 large pot (for water bath canning)
Ingredients
- 2 kg (4½ lbs) pitted plums ripe
- 500 grams (about 1 lb) sugar add more if prefer
- 200 ml (¾ cup) water for thicker jam skip this ingredient
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon optional
Instructions
- You don’t need to sterilize your jars if you are processing them in a water bath or in a pressure canner. Just make sure you wash the jars in warm soapy water.
- Wash and pit the plums and place them into a thick-bottomed pot (a dutch oven is a safe choice). Add the sugar, water, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Let the plums simmer for about 20 mines breaking up the pulp with a potato masher as the fruit softens.
- Puree the fruit by using an immersion blender and jar right away. Make sure your jars are not cold (warm is fine) and fill them up leaving a little bit of head space (about ¼ of an inch, ½ of a cm). Place the lids onto the jars (you don’t have to screw them on super hard).
- Prepare a large pot that can fit the jars. Fill the pot with water (hot or cold) and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and place the jars into the water. The water should reach above the jar lids. Turn the heat back on and bring the water to a boil again. Leave the jars in for 15-20 minutes, then turn off the heat, take off the lid and let the jars sit for a few minutes before taking them out. Let the jars cool completely before placing them in the pantry.
Notes
- Use a jam funnel to avoid extra mess.
- Before placing the lid onto the jar wipe the top of the rim with a clean kitchen towel and then run your finger around the rim once again to make sure no food remains left on it. Cleaning the rim will ensure a good seal!
- Don’t do anything with the jars while they are cooling down. Let them sit on your kitchen counter until they are fully cooled. As the jars are sitting they are still sealing and you want to make sure you don’t intervene in that process!
- Experiment with other fruit pairings. I have made plum jam with apples before and it tastes great! Plus slightly unripe apples add natural pectin to the pot which assists in the setting of the jam. Try other pairings and let me know how you liked them in the comments below!
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoonCalories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 26.1gProtein: 0.1gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 16mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 25.8gCalcium: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!