This year has been a bumper one for plums, and the tree in the back garden has produced more than we can cope with. Plum jam is a real treat and a very easy recipe to make, as it usually sets very well.
Use slightly under ripe plums for making jam, as they have higher pectin levels, save the ripe ones for eating.

Removing the stones from plum (or damson) jam can be a pain if left until the end of the jam making process when it tends to cause a hot sticky mess everywhere. When making this batch of jam I roasted the plums before hand and squeezed out the stones, a process explained in more detail in this blog post.

  See here for the plum jam recipe in more detail.

Recipe Costs

£0.00 2.7kg plums (PYO cost about £4)
£0.00 900ml water
£2.21 2.7kg sugar
£2.21 Total
£0.49 per kg of jam (£1.38 if buying the plums, a quarter of the price of  quality jam in the shops.)

The plums are first washed then spread on baking trays to be roasted for 10 minutes.

After roasting the stones are easily squeezed out...

...and the flesh and skin put in a preserving pan, along with the water.

After simmering for 30 minutes the fruit will be soft and have reduced to a pulp. The sugar is then added and the jam brought to a rolling boil.

After 10 minutes start checking for setting point using the wrinkle test, when this is reached turn off the heat.

Now is a good chance to remove any scum, skins or stones that may have escaped earlier, use a slotted spoon and take care as the jam will be very hot.

Pot in sterilised jars and store in a cool dark place for up to a year.

Recipe Timings

10 minutes Roasting
10 minutes Removing stones
1 hour Cooking
20 minutes Potting

Taste Test

Can't beat plum jam, great in a sponge cake.