Jam production … I’m in for creating small batches of jam. Starting w/ about 1000 g fruit and 500 g preserving sugar (2:1 method – it’s more fruit than sugar …) I get about 5 jam jars of 250 g or 4 jam jars of 340 g – and a little more for instantaneous delight.
Concerning the jars I always use jam jars once filled with ready-to-eat jam I bought in my trusted food store. Just calculate how many jars of your reserve you may need for about 1500 g homemade jam …
So we are now at the beginning of September & it’s plum season. Out of the moment I decided to create plum jam, one of these quick & dirty jams. Most of the work comes from preparing the plums. Please note that it’s about plum jam not plum butter (a very special creation involving several hours of cooking plums w/ sugar until there is a creamy dark brown mess).
After the preliminary steps …
For about 1500 g plum jam
900 g plums (cleaned, trimmed, pitted, quartered – starting w/ about 1200 g plums)
100 ml water
500 g preserving sugar (type 2:1)
3 sachets vanilla sugar (24 g) or 1 vanilla pod (sliced lengthwise)
1 tsp ground cinnamon (heaped)
Of course you may also double the amounts of the ingredients to get more homemade jam.
Equipment
a cooking pot (large enough for the plums & the preserving sugar)
jam jars (cleaned, rinsed with hot/boiling water, dried w/ a fresh tea towel – glass & lids)
Prepare the jam jars.
Prepare the plums and weigh exactly 900 g.
Put the plums, the water, the preserving sugar (type 2:1), the vanilla sugar and the ground cinnamon in a cooking pot and mix well.
If you work with a vanilla pod: cut the vanilla pod lengthwise & add to the mess. Don’t forget to discard the vanilla pod before filling the jam into the jam jars.
Bring the mess in the cooking pot to a boil. Mix thoroughly when cooking & let it bubble for 6 – 8 min … or even up to 10 min … (at least for the time according to the advice of your preserving sugar provider). The plums will dissolve & the plum mess will turn red when ready!
Then fill it at once in the waiting jam jars, close the screwtop & put the jam jars upside down.
Enjoy!
