Description
This recipe outlines how to make a small batch of homemade plum jam with warm spices, suitable for quick consumption.
Ingredients
- 9 oz plums (de-stoned weight, approximately 9 ½ oz with stones)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground ginger
Instructions
- Halve the plums and remove the stones then roughly dice the plums. If you don’t plan to strain the jam, make the pieces relatively small so any pieces of skin are small.
- Put the plum pieces, sugar and lemon juice in a small-medium saucepan along with the cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Place over a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Bring the jam to a simmer, reduce the heat a little and simmer for approximately 5-10 minutes. Mash the plums as they soften to break them up more.
- Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool a minute or two then skim off any foam. Transfer to your prepared clean jar(s) and put lid on while still hot. Leave to cool.
- If you choose to strain the jam to remove the skins, do so once the fruit is well broken up then return the mixture to the pan and heat further until it thickens. Being lower sugar, it may not fully set and work in the ‘wrinkle test’ (when you put a small amount on a plate you have chilled ahead of time and as it cools, the jam wrinkles on top when you nudge it). However, it will noticeably thicken eg when you stir a spoon/spatula through, it will take a bit longer to close in behind.
- Transfer the jam to a clean (ideally sterile) jar and cover. Allow to cool.
Notes
- Since this is a smaller batch, lower sugar jam, I tend to store in the fridge and use quickly so I am less strict about using sterile jars and canning than a jam I would store longer on a shelf. But proper canning is still recommended.
- You can adjust the spices you add to this to taste/what you have but I suggest keeping them warm spices – others that would work are cardamom and allspice.
- Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
- Category: Jam
- Method: Stovetop