One year, we spent our summer holiday staying in a gite on a farm near Bergerac in France. At the end of our stay, the owner kindly gave me a bag of small yellow Mirabelle plums to bring home. This started my love of plum jam and since then I have made it every year. Plums come in all colours and sizes and this recipe will apply to all varieties.
Have a look at 'all you need to know about making jam' to learn about testing for set and tips on sterilising and filling the jars.
This recipe makes about 5 jars.
1.5kg plums, washed, quartered, and stoned
1.5kg granulated sugar
200ml water
10g butter
Put a small plate into the freezer.
Wash, quarter and stone the plums and put them into a large saucepan or preserving pan with the water.
Heat gently and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the fruit is soft. Stir occasionally. Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Then turn the heat up and boil for 10 minutes.
Take the jam off the heat and remove the plate from the freezer. Test for set. If you think it’s ready, stir in the butter (this will help to dissolve any scum).
Leave to cool for 15 minutes before spooning into sterilised jars.
When cool, label and date the jars.
Comments