This Easy Plum Jam Recipe {Without Pectin} is a great way to preserve fresh plums and enjoy them the whole year. At the first sight of juicy plums in grocery stores, I take out my mother’s classic recipe for homemade plum jam and make a batch of this delicious Easy Plum Jam Recipe.
How Is Plum Jam Pakistani Food?
Pakistan has a specific variety of red plums known as Aloo Bukhara. These are proliferous in certain parts of Pakistan during peak season. Many different ways of preserving the fruit are utilized.
Drying it and using it in Chutneys or curries like my gosht-aloo-bukhara-beef-curry-with-plums is one popular way. Another is to make homemade jam or preserve like this one and eat it all year round.
What Types of Plums to Use?
There is a large variety of plums during peak season and any or all varieties make delicious plum jam! Some of the more well-known and popular varieties are:
- Red Plums
- Yellow Plums
- Black Plums
- Italian Plums
- Wild Plums
This recipe was made with Black Plums as that was the variety available at my grocery store. However, I have used both red and yellow plums in the past and both work just as well.
The Ingredients for The Jam
The jam consists of no more than 3 ingredients!
- The 2.5 or so pounds of plums
- The Lemon Juice
- The Cups of Sugar
In addition to this, you will need about 1-2 cups of water to create a syrup as the sugar dissolves. This along with the lemon juice will help thicken the plum juice that is released.
The Plums and lemon juice have natural pectin. This, along with the right amount of sugar helps the jam set. Thus, no added pectin is necessary!
Adding the right amount of sugar is key to the taste and consistency of your jam. But how much sugar you decide to add depends a little on your personal preference too.
I like my jam a little sweet and sour so only add 1 cup to about 2.5 lbs of plums. Most recipes call for 1 cup of sugar per pound of plums. I personally find that too sweet but what you do is entirely up to you.
The Cooking Technique
The cooking technique is as simple as the list of ingredients. Hence the title “easy recipe”! For best flavor, start with perfectly ripe or even slightly overripe plums. After washing the plums well, cut them into small pieces and discard the pits.
Combine plums, water, sugar and lemon juice and add them to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat and then continue to cook on medium heat for about 15-30 minutes. Stir occasionally and if necessary, use a potato masher to blend the pieces.
If you like a smoother jam then you can use an immersion blender to make the jam into more of a puree. I personally like mine slightly chunky so use a masher. Once the jam has thickened slightly, which usually takes about 30 minutes maximum, depending on your stove, you can test it in one of three ways to be sure it is thick enough.
- Finger Down the Spoon Test
I personally use this age-old technique! Once the jam is thick enough to coat my spoon, I run a finger down the middle to create a line. If it doesn’t fill back up with liquid then I consider the jam ready!
- Cold Plate Test
A lot of people like to use the cold plate test! For this, at the time that you start cooking your jam, put a plate in your fridge to chill. Once you think your jam is thick enough to be done, take the plate out and put a teaspoon of the jam on it. The jam will instantly cool and thicken to the actual consistency it will be once cold. This will help you determine if it’s as thick as you want it to be.
- Candy Thermometer
The 3rd and absolute fool proof method is to use a candy thermometer. A regular thermometer such as this one from thermoworks.com will also work as long as it goes up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit, otherwise you will need a candy or sugar one.
Once the jam is ready, spoon the final product into slightly warm glass jars. If the jars are cold, they may crack due to the high temperatures of the hot jam.
The jars must be sterilized as instructed in the section below and filled, leaving ½ inch space. Seal the jam jars with the metal lids immediately and bring the finished jam to room temperature before refrigerating.
How To Sterilize Your Jars
use any one of the following 4 methods to sterilize your jars.
- The Boiling Method
Wash the half pint jars in hot soapy water and then boil them, along with the lids, for about 10 minutes. Turn the stove off and leave the jars in the water as your jam cooks. Remove the hot jars and fill them using a metal spoon once your jam is ready.
- The Oven Method
Wash the jars as with the other method and then place the wet jars on a baking sheet in the oven. Bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes and then remove using oven mitts and place on a cooling mat. Make sure to fill them while they are still warm.
- The Dishwasher
This is an easy way to sterilize jars if you have a high heat setting on your dishwasher. Run a short wash cycle at the highest temperature setting and keep the dishwasher closed to keep the jars warm till it’s time to fill them.
- Microwave
A less common and efficient method of sterilization is the microwave. The jars can be washed and then microwaved for 30 seconds to 1 minute. However, this can only be done if the jars have no metal in them and the lids would still need to be boiled separately.
How To Store the Jam?
Now that your jam is ready you can store it and eat it for months to come! For storage:
- With proper canning in a water bath canner the jam can be stored in a dry place like the pantry for up to a year without the need for refrigeration if left unopened.
- Once opened, the jam will last in the fridge for up to 4-6 weeks if it contains no preservatives.
- Homemade jam, without proper canning will last in the freezer for up to 6 months without any preservatives.
What To Eat the Jam With
Some things I enjoy my plum jam with:
- On Toast for breakfast.
- On Pancakes.
- With Crepes.
- With Cottage Cheese.
- With Plain Yogurt.
- With my Ricotta Breakfast Parfait.
- With Ricotta.
- With French Toast.
- With Ice Cream.
- As a filling for Tarts.
- As part of my Charcuterie Board.
Some Other Recipes To Try From The Blog
- cranberry-curd
- spiced-citrus-ginger-marmalade
- orange-pomegranate-cranberry-sauce
- easy-raspberry-sauce
- perfect-lemon-curd
Did You Try The Recipe?
Please don't forget to leave a rating and comment below! If you take a picture then please tag me on instagram! Thank You!
Easy Plum Jam Recipe {Without Pectin}
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- Knife
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 1 metal spoon
- 1 Soft Spatula
- 1 potato masher
- 3 ½ pint glass jars
Ingredients
- 5 cups plums
- 1 cup sugar {SEE NOTES}
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Dice the plums and discard all the pits {leave the skin on}.
- Measure the sugar, lemon and water and mix with the plums in a large pot.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and cook on high to thicken.
- Stir every few minutes to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Use a potato masher as needed to mash the bits {SEE NOTES}
- After 10 minutes, test the jam to see if it's done using one of the three methods outlined in the post above.
- Once ready, spoon the hot jam into the prepared, sterilized jars to cool down.
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