You'll love this classic plum jam recipe, made with sweet, ripe, juicy plums at the peak of their season. It's the ultimate way to preserve and enjoy this delicious stone fruit for months to come.
Simple plum jam recipe – what do you need
You can use this plum jam in so many ways. Spread them on toast, serve with cream, bake mini tarts or fill sponge cakes. You are only limited by your imagination.
Preparation: 30 Min.
Cooking plum jam: 30 Min.
Crowd: Makes 3 x 450ml mason jars
Ingredients for plum jam recipe:
- 2 kg plums, pitted and roughly chopped
- 2 kg of white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (optional)
- 3 Zimtstangen (optional)
- A piece of butter (optional)
Preparation of the jam
- Sterilize jars and all other equipment before you begin (see tips below). Put a few saucers in the freezer as you will need them later to test if the jam is ready (or use a candy thermometer). Place the plums in a preserving pot and add 200 ml of water. Bring the water to a simmer and cook until the plums are soft but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, ground cinnamon and lemon juice and allow the sugar to slowly dissolve without boiling. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Make your own plum jam –Increase the heat and bring the Pflaumenmusfor cooking. After about 5 minutes, spoon a little jam onto a cold saucer. Wait a few seconds and then press the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, the jam is ready. If not, continue cooking for a few more minutes and test again with another cold saucer. If you have a candy thermometer, it will read 105 C° when the Pflaumenmusis finished.
- Remove the jam from the heat and add the cinnamon sticks (if using) and the knob of butter. The cinnamon will look pretty in the glasses and the butter will spread the foam. Let the jam cool for 15 minutes so that the lumps of fruit do not sink to the bottom of the jars. Pour the jam into the hot jars, close them and let them cool. It will keep for 1 year in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate after opening.
Delicious mirabelle plum recipes for jam, compote and plum cake arecan be found here!
Plum jam recipe – tips
Sterilize jars and equipment:Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water, rinse, place on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes or until completely dry. If you want to use rubber seals, remove the seals and place them in briefly boiled water. Make sure you also sterilize any funnels, ladles, or spoons you will use.
Make a larger quantity:It's always best to make two batches rather than doubling the quantity. It would take too long (and you would need a huge pot) to bring more than 2kg of fruit to the right temperature and the jam wouldn't taste as good.
Lemon juice:If you use ripe plums, the lemon juice increases the acidity and improves the firmness of the jam. Only if your plums are not ripe can you leave it out. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice.Important!Lemon plays an important role in making jam. It contains a lot of acid and pectin, both of which are important for the jam to gel. Plus, the acidity of the lemon helps balance the sweetness.
Zucker: Regular granulated sugar is best.
Water: Use filtered tap water.
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What else should you consider?
- Make sure the metal lids do not have rubber inserts as these could melt in the oven.
- You can use recycled jars with metal lids that are in good condition or purchase new jars. Mason jars that previously contained pickles are generally not suitable as they often retain the aroma. Save these for your own chutneys or pickles.
- You don't need any special equipment to prepare this recipe. You need a large, wide pot because the large surface area allows the water to evaporate more quickly and gives the jam a concentrated flavor. Without a large pot, there is a risk that the jam will boil over.
- Avoid pans made of aluminum, copper or iron. The acid in the fruit can react with the pan and give the jam a metallic taste.
Is it necessary to peel the plums?No, you don't need to peel the plums. The peels contain a high level of pectin, which helps the jam set.
Making plum jam without sugar or with less sugar – is that possible?To make plum jam like before, you need a lot of sugar. Seeing them weighed is a little concerning, but don't reduce the amount of sugar. The sugar not only sweetens the fruit, but also helps the jam set and acts as a preservative. If you reduce the sugar, your plum jam may no longer last.
What is pectin and why is it so important?Pectin is a naturally occurring starch that is found in varying degrees in fruits and vegetables. It ensures that jams and jellies solidify when they have cooled. When combined with acid and sugar and cooked at high temperature, it forms a gel.
You can find more recipes for jam and marmaladefind here!
