Easy Plum Jam without pectin made with only 2 ingredients. It’s a delicious way to preserve plums and capture the intense flavour of summer.
Sink your spoon into softly set jam bursting with vibrantly coloured plums and spread on a scone or slice of toast and enjoy !
You really can’t beat a good homemade plum jam, it’s so much better than you can buy from a shop. No artificial ingredients or added extras, you know exactly what’s in your jar of jam.
My Easy Plum Jam is perfect for beginners to jam making. Full of natural pectin so all you need to add to fresh juicy sweet plums is a bag of sugar.
Follow my easy recipe and in around 45 minutes you’ll have 6 jars of the very best plum jam all done and dusted. This includes fruit preparation, weighing out ingredients and potting up. I’ve included a few jam making tips to ensure you can’t go wrong.
Jam and Chutney making form a large part of what happens here at The Kitchen Shed. It generally starts with strawberry jam and before I know it, it’s time for cherry jam and raspberry jam. Then it’s stoned fruit time signalling the end of summer.
Whilst in France we had our own plum trees, so I’ve really missed having our own garden here in Wales. But this year we’ve been lucky enough to get an allotment with communal fruit trees. The trees are full right now with juicy ripe plums and I’m so pleased to be picking straight from the tree again.
First on my list ? I just had to bake a plum frangipane tart, followed by a batch of my easy plum jam. Next on my to do list is a plum chutney and a Chinese style plum sauce.
My plum jam was aways popular at our local Christmas market in France and a favourite with family and friends. I hope you enjoy my Easy Plum Jam as much as we do.
What equipment do I need ?
- Preserving pan – nice and wide so liquid can evaporate and your jam can set. If you make a lot of jams and chutneys it’s worth investing in a good solid preserving pan. I use an 8.5 litre Penguin Home Professional pan.
- A couple of tea plates or saucers placed in the fridge before you start making the jam.
- A jam funnel – definitely something I wouldn’t be without as it saves a lot of mess and waste.
- Sterilised jam jars – at least 6 x 350g jars with lids.
- Jam thermometer – a quick and easy way to check the setting point of jam.
How to sterilise jars
Sterilise your jars shortly before they are to be used. This minimises the time in which the jars might pick up new bacteria and ruin your plum jam. Make sure your jars are dry when you come to fill them.
- I like to sterilise jam jars in the microwave. Simply clean your jars as normal and rinse but whilst they are wet, pop them in the microwave for two minutes on full power.
- Or you can use your oven, put the wet glass jars on a baking tray upside down. Place in a preheated oven at 160-180ºC for about 15 mins.
- Remember the jars will be very hot, so remove with care.
- To sterilise the lids, place them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them and leave for 5 minutes. Drain and leave to dry on kitchen paper.
- Alternatively, wash jars and lids in the dishwasher on a hot cycle.
What ingredients do I need ?
- Plums – ripe plums in season will give the best flavour. In the past I’ve used Victoria plums and damsons, both of which have an excellent flavour. A first for us this year, I’ve used red plums from the allotment – I’m unsure of the variety but they are delicious. Just make sure you don’t use over ripe fruit. A few under ripe plums are good as they hold even more pectin.
- Sugar – I used granulated sugar, there is no need to use jam sugar as the plums are full of pectin and don’t need any extra help to set the jam.
How to make Easy Plum Jam
- Stone and cut the majority of your plums in half before chopping the rest into smaller pieces. We like a jam with plenty of pieces of fruit in it. If you prefer a smoother jam, just chop all the plums into small pieces.
- Place in a preserving pan with a little water. Simmer with a lid on until nice and soft.
- Add the granulated sugar and stir. Check the sugar has completely dissolved – the syrup should be free of any sugar granules.
- Bring to a gentle rolling boil and cook until setting point. The surface of the jam should be covered with tiny bubbles.Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up too high as this risks your jam catching and burning.
- Setting point is reached when the jam thermometer reaches 104℃ / 220F.
- I also like use the wrinkle test to check for a good set. Remove your pan from the heat and drop a little jam onto a cold saucer. Return the saucer to the fridge for about a minute so the jam cools.
- Now gently push through the jam with your fingertip – if the jam crinkles, setting point has been reached.
- Ladle into warm sterilised jars and seal.
Tips for making the best Plum Jam
- Keep to 1.5 kilo of fruit or less for each batch of plum jam. It will reach setting point much quicker and taste better than if you overcook it by boiling for a long time.
- Fruit must be fresh, dry and unblemished. Good quality fruit makes the best plum jam.
- Sugar must be completely dissolved before the jam comes to the boil. If not, you will have sugar crystals forming at the top of your jar.
- Use the correct amount of sugar as it plays an important part in preserving the jam by preventing fermentation. Also, using too much sugar may cause it to crystallise.
How long will it keep ?
Your Easy Plum Jam will keep for up to a year. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Once opened, refrigerate and use within 4 weeks.
A note on canning and the water bath method
Here in the UK, we don’t generally use the water bath method to make jams and jellies.
Jars and lids are sterilised before filling and once sealed the lids on jars of hot jam form a vacuum seal during cooling. Within the airtight jar, the sugar and acid content is high enough to preserve the jam or jelly.
If you do wish to water bath Plum Jam, follow your jar manufacturer’s instructions.
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More Fruit Jam and Jelly Recipes
How to use Easy Plum Jam
Serve with a buttered homemade scone.
Perfect in a Victoria Sponge.
On toast, waffles or pancakes.
Or simply on a slice of homemade bread and butter.
Easy Plum Jam
Equipment
- 2 Tea plates or saucers – placed in the fridge before you start making the jam.
- Preserving pan – I use an 8.5 litre Penguin Home Professional pan.
- jam funnel – definitely something I wouldn’t be without as it saves a lot of mess and waste.
- 4 x 350 g Sterilised jam jars and lids
- jam thermometer
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg fresh ripe plums about 1350g after stoning
- 1.25 kg granulated sugar
Instructions
- Stone and cut the majority your plums in half. Chop the rest into smaller pieces.
- Put the plums in a preserving pan and add 200ml water. Bring to a simmer and place on a lid.
- Cook for about 10 – 15 mins until the plums are tender but not falling apart.
- Add the sugar and, over a low heat, let the sugar dissolve slowly without boiling. This is likely to take about 5 mins.
- Check the sugar has completely dissolved before increasing the heat to medium.
- Bring to a gentle rolling boil and cook for around 15 minutes or until the jam thermometer reaches 104℃ / 220F.
- Test for setting point using the wrinkle test. Remove your pan from the heat and drop a little jam onto an ice cold saucer. Then gently push the jam with your fingertip – if the jam crinkles, setting point has been reached. If not, boil the jam for a couple of minutes more and then check setting point again.
- Once setting point is reached, ladle your jam into warm, sterilised jars before sealing with airtight lids.
- Store in a cool, dry place out of the sunlight and use within 12 months.
Notes
- The recipe makes enough (approximately) to fill 6 x 350g jars.
- Serving size is based on one tablespoon (approximately 15 g)
- Keep to 1.5 kilo of fruit or less for each batch of plum jam. I’ve used red plums,
- Victoria plums or damsons make good plum jam too.
- Your Homemade Plum Jam will keep for up to a year. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Once opened, refrigerate and use within 4 weeks.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.