Plum jam
Make a lovely homemade plum jam when the garden and shops are bursting with fresh plums. This jam has a stunningly beautiful colour whether you use red, blue, black, or yellow plums, or maybe a mix. This plum jam recipe yields a jam with a lovely tartness, so it is not too sweet, making it ideal for cheeses, as a tasty spread on your breakfast toast, or drizzled on your breakfast yoghurt. Making jam at home allows you to easily adjust the sweetness and the result is a wonderful jam that is perfectly sweet or sour – just how you like it.
Ingredients
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Vanilla pod
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½ |
|---|---|
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Plums in small pieces
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500 g |
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Preserving sugar
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175 g |
Instructions
Tips
Always having a jar of homemade jam waiting in your pantry or refrigerator is amazing, but sometimes they do not stay good for as long as you would like them to. Adding a bit of sodium benzoate to your finished jam will expand its shelf life, but it might affect the flavour a little bit. You can also rinse the jars you are using with sodium benzoate after sterilising but before pouring in the jam.
Tips
If you want to avoid risking a flavour change with sodium benzoate, simply boil the jar before pouring in the jam. Also always handle the jars with clean hands, as this will also thoroughly prolong its shelf life.
Questions about plum jam
With our recipe on how to make plum jam, making a delicious jam is both quick and easy. Below, you can learn more about how to make and enjoy this homemade jam by reading answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the bold-looking and coloured jam.
How to make plum jam?
How to make plum jam without pectin?
How long to boil plum jam?
What to make with plum jam?
Can you make plum jam from frozen plums?
Why is my plum jam not setting?
Other recipes
Delicious homemade plum jam
Jam making is a great way of preserving some of the lovely seasonal bounties offered by nature, and our recipe for plum jam is no exception. It is sweet, tart, and perfectly balanced. The warmth and sweetness of the vanilla complements the freshness and tartness of the fruit and rounds off the flavour experience. Homemade jam is always a winner both in flavour and texture as you can balance both to your likings.
If you just cannot get enough of plums, check out our recipe for a sweet and fresh plum tart with marzipan and a flaky puff pastry crust.
Sweet and tart jam for toasted bread and cheese
This jam is perfect for using on buttered toast for breakfast or as part of a brunch or afternoon spread. Whether you like a nice, buttery brie or are feeling more in the mood for a saltier, earthier cheese like an aged Havarti or a French gruyere, your beautiful homemade plum jam is sure to complement most cheeses beautifully, providing a tartness that balances the richness of the cheese.
For the bread, try some of our delicious bread recipes like a classic white bread, an airy and crisp sourdough bread made with our sourdough recipe, or a bread with a lot of texture like our wholemeal bread. They are all great options for your sweet and tart jam.
Mix plums with fruit and berries
The taste of plums works well with an array of different fruits, berries, and spices. In general, you can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for highlighting the taste of plums, but you can do so much more than that. Below, we have curated a selection of different and delicious variations. Try experimenting with these different combinations with our plum jam recipe as the base and choose your favourite!
Apple and plum jam
Our first variant recommendation is an apple and plum jam. Which apple to choose depends on whether you would like the jam to lean into its sweeter side, in which case, the Cox's Orange apple is a good way to go, or the tarter side, where you might try the Honeycrisp or even Granny Smith apples if you like your jams quite tangy. Mixing different apples is, of course, also an option. To make an apple and plum jam, replace half of the plums with peeled, chopped apples.
Ginger spiced plum jam
For a spicier version of our plum jam recipe that is absolutely perfect for a crisp autumn morning and a cup of tea, make a spiced plum jam by adding 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon of cardamom to the jam. If you love the heat ginger brings, you can also try using about 75 g of shredded fresh ginger in your jam instead.
Rhubarb and plum jam
A summery take on our recipe pairs plums with beautiful pink rhubarb. Rhubarb, available in spring and summer, brightens both the taste and colour of the jam. Because, like plums, rhubarbs are naturally both sweet and tart, they make the perfect addition to the plums. Simply replace half of the plums with chopped rhubarbs to make rhubarb and plum jam.
Cherry plum jam
The last variation teams the plums up with sweet cherries. These delightful summer fruits can be very sweet on their own, but in this cherry plum jam, the natural tartness of the plum balances them perfectly. As with the other variations, replace half of the recommended number of plums for halved, unpitted cherries.
