2cups (about 1 pound)ripe red or purple plums, finely chopped
2tablespoonslemon juice
4 ½cupsgranulated sugar
¾cupwater
6tablespoonsBall 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.
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.