Try Plum Freezer Jam Instead of Traditional Canning
If you’re a fan of homemade jams but don’t have the time for traditional canning, plum freezer jam is the perfect solution. With just a few ingredients and no need for special canning equipment, you can enjoy the sweet, tangy flavor of plum jam year-round. I’ll also share a little secret: you don’t have to peel the plums to make this jam!
Why I Started Making Plum Jam
I have a recipe for Plum Chicken that is one of my favorite chicken dishes. It uses plum jam, which I ordered online and then waited for a delivery that sometimes took days. It seemed easy enough to buy at the grocery store, but I searched my local stores and came up empty-handed. No one carried plum jam! So I decided to make homemade plum jam, which was surprisingly easy to do. You can store it in regular canning jars or in freezer containers that stack easily and compactly. Then you can make Plum Chicken anytime!
Things Needed For Plum Freezer Jam
It only takes 5 ingredients to make plum freezer jam.
- Ripe plums
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin
- Canning jars or freezer containers
Use Ripe Plums for Plum Freezer Jam
Plums are usually plentiful in grocery stores during late summer and early fall, making it easy to find different varieties. Use ripe or even overripe plums, such as those with a red or purple hue.
Use a Food Processor
Try using a food processor to chop the plums into small pieces, making short work of this step. You won’t need to peel the plums; only remove the seeds.
Use Classic Pectin
It takes a lot of sugar when using classic pectin to make jam. There are alternative pectins that are “no-cook” and low-sugar. However, this jam uses the Realfruit Classic Pectin, as shown above. It includes specific instructions, detailed in the recipe.
Plum Sauce
Sometimes, jam may not thicken and set. I have included a note after the recipe to help you resolve this issue. If it still doesn’t thicken as much as you want after trying the fix, then all is not lost. You can use thin jam as a sauce on pancakes and ice cream. You can even use it to flavor salad dressing or pair it with savory meats as a sauce.
Homemade jams can be a little more “loose” or runny than commercial jams. If you haven’t made freezer jam before, expect a softer set than the commercially prepared jam you buy at the store.
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Plum Freezer Jam
Equipment
- food processor or electric chopper (optional)
- (5) 8-ounce freezer containers or canning jars
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 1 pound) ripe red or purple plums, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 6 tablespoons Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin
Instructions
- Wash the plums thoroughly and then dry them.
- Cut the plums in half and remove the seeds. Then, finely chop the plums (you do not have to remove the skins). If using a food processor, chop all the plum halves at once on low speed and then increase to high.
- In a large heat-proof bowl, combine the chopped plums, lemon juice, and sugar. Mix thoroughly and let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, add the water and whisk in the pectin until smooth. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that can't be stirred down, and then boil hard for 1 minute, stirring the entire time. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the hot pectin water into the bowl with the plums and stir continuously for 3 minutes.
- Ladle the jam into clean freezer containers or canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch room for expansion during freezing.
- Wipe the tops of the containers for any spilled jam. Then add the lids. Place the jam in the refrigerator until it has set, which may take 24 to 48 hours.
- You can freeze the jam for up to 1 year or refrigerate it for 3 weeks.
Notes
Yield
This recipe makes about (5) 8-ounce jars or freezer containers. Calories listed are for (1) 8-ounce jar.Recipe
Recipe adapted from Freshpreserving.com. Go to https://www.freshpreserving.com/how-make-jam-and-jelly# for more information about preparing preserves.Troubleshooting
For jam that does not set properly, follow these instructions to fix 4 cups of runny jam at a time:- Whisk 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of Ball Classic Pectin in a wide saucepan. Add 4 cups of jam and stir well to disperse the sugar and pectin into the jam.
- Heat on medium until it boils; continue cooking for 5-10 minutes, or until the jam has thickened.
- Place in containers and freeze.
- If the jam does not thicken at this point, it probably will not. All is not lost, however; use the jam as a sauce to top ice cream and cakes. It will also make delicious salad dressings and as an ingredient in recipes that call for plum jam. It can also be used on toast or pancakes as a syrup.
Nutrition
