We picked up a box of magnificent President plums at the markets last week. They’re very tart and firm, which makes them perfect for cooking.
After freezing twenty-four plums (stoned and halved, vacuum-sealed), Pete had enough left over for a couple of batches of jam. His first was a delicious plum and pluot blend, but this second one is even better – sweet, but tart, with a wonderfully complex flavour. It will make a great staple in our larder for the year to come.
- 1.8kg President plums, stoned and quartered
- 1.2kg white sugar
- 50ml lemon juice
- 375ml homemade pectin
- 2 teaspoons homemade vanilla extract
1. Put the quartered plums in a large wide stock pot. Ensure the pot is big enough to allow the jam to rise up as it boils. Add the lemon juice and pectin, cover and bring to a boil. Don’t add the sugar yet.
2. Stew gently until the plums are softened, about 15 – 20 minutes. Note that the plum skins won’t soften any further once the sugar is added.
3. Add all the sugar and vanilla extract and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. As the sugar dissolves, foam will appear on the surface of the jam – skim this off carefully. Put a small saucer in the freezer so you can test the jam for set.
4. Once the jam is clarified, raise the temperature and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Cook until the jam has thickened, then place a spoonful on the cold saucer and allow it to cool. If it has set properly, it will wrinkle when pushed.
Plums, if they’re not too ripe, have a high natural pectin content, so they usually set very well. Here is a photo of the pot once it had cooled slightly.
5. Ladle the jam into sterilised jars, seal tightly and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. For more instructions, please refer to our Jam Making Primer.
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 