Backyard Plum Jam

Name: Backyard Plum Jam
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 1000 g fresh dark blood plums; 800 g white granulated sugar; 60 ml Fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp lemon zest; 125 ml Water; 1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste; 1 piece cinnamon quill; 1 pinch sea salt

A rich, ruby-red preserve bursting with the sweet-tart flavour of summer stone fruit. Perfect spread thickly over warm buttered toast or freshly baked scones.

🇦🇺Australia· Australian Capital Territory

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 24
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 52 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

1000 g fresh dark blood plums — washed, halved, stones removed, and roughly chopped
800 g white granulated sugar — standard white sugar helps form a firm pectin set
60 ml Fresh lemon juice — from approximately 2 medium lemons to provide natural pectin and acid
1 tsp lemon zest — finely grated
125 ml Water — to help soften tough skins before adding sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste — adds a warm, rounded background aroma
1 piece cinnamon quill — small whole bark, removed before bottling
1 pinch sea salt — fine grain to balance sweetness and acidity

Equipment

•Large heavy-based preserving pot
•Wooden spoon
•Small ceramic saucers
•Sterilised glass jars with metal lids
•Candy thermometer
•Ladle and jam funnel

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 52 kcal
fat: 0.1 g
carbs: 13.2 g
fibre: 0.6 g
protein: 0.3 g
calories: 52 kcal

Instructions

1
Place two small saucers into the freezer to chill for testing the jam set point later.
2
Wash glass jars and matching metal lids thoroughly in hot soapy water, then rinse well.
3
Place wet jars upright on a baking tray in an oven preheated to 120°C for twenty minutes.
4
Place chopped plums, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon quill, and salt into a large heavy pot.
5
Simmer gently over medium-low heat for fifteen minutes until plum skins soften completely.
6
Pour in the sugar and stir constantly over low heat until every crystal completely dissolves.
7
Increase heat to high and bring the jam to a rapid, rolling boil.
8
Boil vigorously for twelve to fifteen minutes, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 105°C on a thermometer.
9
Drop a teaspoon of hot jam onto a chilled saucer, wait thirty seconds, and push gently with your finger.
10
If the jam surface wrinkles softly, stir in the vanilla bean paste and discard the cinnamon quill.
11
Carefully ladle boiling hot jam into warm sterilised jars, leaving a one-centimetre space at the top.
12
Seal tightly with hot sterilised lids and leave undisturbed on a wooden board until completely cold.

Chef's tips

Never add sugar until plum skins are thoroughly tender, as sugar permanently toughens fruit skins. If the jam fails the wrinkle test after fifteen minutes of boiling, cook for another three minutes and test again. Always warm your jars before filling them with hot jam to prevent glass cracking from thermal shock.

Ingredient substitutions

dark blood plums → European prune plums, damson plums, or yellow satsuma plums
pure vanilla bean paste → 1 whole split vanilla bean pod or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Storage

Store sealed, unopened jars in a cool, dark cupboard for up to twelve months; once opened, keep refrigerated and consume within six weeks.

Reheating

Serve at room temperature straight from the jar, or gently warm individual portions in a heatproof dish if desired.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding sugar too early, which leaves the plum skins tough and chewy in the final jam.
•Overcooking the preserve past 106°C, causing the sugar to caramelise and making the set rubbery.
•Pouring boiling jam into cold glass jars, causing the glass to shatter from temperature shock.

Serving suggestions

Spoon over warm, crusty sourdough spread with cold salted butter.Serve atop fresh plain scones alongside a dollop of thick double cream.Swirl through morning rolled oats or plain Greek yoghurt.