So many ways to enjoy this tasty fruit preserve!
All the brimming baskets of colourful, perfectly-ripe produce seemed to be calling out to me at the farmers’ market the past few weekends. I grabbed peaches, apples and tomatoes to make this delicious fruit relish, as well as zucchini and other vegetables to embark on some favourite annual pickling projects. The deep purple skinned plums also caught my eye, and when I bit into one on the way home to savour its juicy, yellow flesh, I knew I just had to make a batch of my favourite plum jam, inspired by something my family calls ‘spiced plum relish’. You’ll note that this recipe calls for adding less liquid pectin than some others on this site which use a similiar amount of fruit; that’s because ripe (but not overripe) plums contain a lot of natural pectin. As you might expect, these preserves are delicious on toast, but they’re also fantastic as a glaze for roast pork or a sidekick for grilled chicken. I’ve even been known to tuck a spoonful or two into grilled cheese sandwiches. Three cheers for versatile condiments!
Ingredients
- 4 cups pitted and finely chopped ripe plums (about 8-10 medium – 1.5 lbs / 720g total weight before pitting and chopping)
- 6 1/2 cups (1.28 kg) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (60 mL) cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, cloves, allspice and chili powder
- 1 pouch (3 oz / 89 mL) Certo liquid pectin
Method
- Place all ingredients in a very large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. When sugar has melted, you can pulse the mixture a few times with an immersion blender to achieve a slightly smoother texture in the jam, if desired.
- When the mixture reaches a rolling boil (meaning it can’t be stirred down), let it boil for one minute.
- Stir in liquid pectin and boil for one minute more.
- Remove from heat and stir mixture for 5 minutes to prevent floating fruit in your jars.
- Ladle the plum jam into hot, sterilized canning jars. Wipe rims and seal with new lids.
- Process in a hot water bath for shelf stable storage. Alternatively, let cool to room temperature then store in the refrigerator.
Makes six 1 cup / 250 mL jars.
