Plum jam

Making jam at home is not a difficult task. It is something for when you have lots of time on hand, though. You cannot hurry through it and there are no short cuts you can take. If you want your jam/preserve to last for a long time, then you must painstakingly follow the procedure and let it take its own time. This plum jam was made when plums were in season and this is my first entry for Blogging Marathon #64 under the theme Pickles & Preserves.


What you need :
Plum - 8 large, pitted and chopped (approx 4 cups)
Sugar - 1 cup, heaped
Time and Patience - immeasurably large amounts

In a large sauce pan, combine the chopped plums and sugar. Stir with a spoon and set aside for at least an hour. This helps the sugar to dissolve and the plum to release its juices.
Now bring the plum sugar mixture to a boil and then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let it come to room temperature. Repeat this step a total of four times, mashing the plums with the back of your spoon each time to get a chunky texture. If you don't want chunks in your final product, you could blitz it with a hand blender or blend it in your blender for a smoother texture. After simmering the mixture the fourth time, pour it into a sterilized, still hot glass jar, seal and allow to come to room temperature. This can be stored at room temperature until it is opened. Once opened, store in the refrigerator.

How to sterilize your glass jam jar :
Stand the glass jar upright in a large container of water. There must be enough water to cover the jar completely and then some. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 15 minutes. Switch off heat and put the lid of the jar and the tongs you will be using into the water. Let it stay immersed for 10 minutes. Remove everything onto a clean paper towel and let stand for 1 minute. Pour the jam into the bottle while the bottle is still hot to avoid cracking.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#64