How to make Easy Plum Jam

Plum Jam always reminds me of my maternal grandmother. My gran was a great jam maker, every year she made raspberry, strawberry, and blackcurrant.

However, it is my Gran’s  Plum Jam I remember best of all because he didn’t bother taking out the stones and you had to pick them out of the jam as you ate and put them on the side of your plate!

You’ll be pleased to know that I took the stones out of my jam as I would hate someone to crunch down on one and break their teeth – eek!

My recipe for Easy Plum Jam is really very simple and, as plums are high in pectin so the jam will set easily.

What kind of plums are best for jam-making?

Plums are part of a group of stone fruits that includes greengages, mirabelles, damsons and cherry plums  All of these fruits make good jam.

You can use dessert plums to make Easy Plum Jam.  The plums you buy in markets and supermarkets are usually dessert plums.  They may simply be labelled as British Plums or Yellow Plums or you may get a variety such as Victoria.

You may be able to get cooking plums from a greengrocer or from a friend’s garden if you don’t have your own plum tree.

How to make Easy Plum Jam

To make Easy Plum Jam you only need plums, sugar, water and lemon juice.  It really is that simple to make this delicious jam.

Halve the plums and remove the stones, put them into a large pan, I use the base of my pressure cooker.

The plums will soften quite quickly in the water and lemon juice then you can add the sugar. Make sure that the sugar is fully dissolved before bringing to the boil.

What is a rolling boil?

For more information and video clip of what a rolling boil looks like and how to tell if your jam is set using the wrinkle test, check out my Fig & Lime Jam recipe.

Once you have tested for set,  leave the jam to sit for a few minutes, then skim off any froth on the top and ladle into sterilised jars (see recipe card for details).

WHY NOT PIN FOR LATER? 

I always think there is something rather magical about the way fruit and sugar transform into jam. Plum Jam has the most glorious colour

The colour may vary depending on the type of plums that you use, but somehow it always looks like glowing jewels, or am I being fanciful?

More Jam Recipes from Farmersgirl Kitchen

How to make Blackcurrant Jam 

Spiced Blackberry Jam 

How to make Gooseberry Jam 

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam 

More Plum Recipes for you to try

Plum and Almond Traybake – Farmersgirl Kitchen

Easy Roasted Plums with Star Anise – Supper in the Suburbs

Cinnamon Spice Pancakes with Cinnamon Poached Plums – Farmersgirl Kitchen

Plum Jelly – Kavey Eats

Duck and Plum Salad – Farmersgirl Kitchen

Mini Damson Madeira Loaves – Baking Queen 74

Plum Almond and Apple Tarte Tatin – Foodie Quine

Grilled Plums with Minted Couscous and Almonds – Thinly Spread

Plum and Almond Crumble Cake – Family, Friends, Food

Plum and Fig Cheesecake – Lovely Appetite

Hungarian Plum Cake – Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary

Glyn Purnell’s Duck with Spiced Plum Jam – Gingey Bites

Apple Plum Galette – Little Sunny Kitchen

How to make Easy Plum Jam

A recipe for a simple jam using dessert plums, ideal to spread on bread and butter, scones or Scotch pancakes.

3.93 from 27 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: British

Keyword: easy, jam, jelly, plums, recipe

Servings: 4 medium jars

Author: Farmersgirl Kitchen

Ingredients

• 900 g 2lb dessert plums (weight without stones)
• 4 tbsp water
• 900 g 2lb sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 knob butter approx 1 tsp

Instructions

• Halve the fruit and remove the stones.
• Wash your jars and place in a low oven (see notes).
• Put into a large pan with the water and cook gently until the plums are soft but not disintegrated.
• Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring to the boil, and boil rapidly, (rolling boil) then remove from the heat after 5 minutes and test for set (see notes).
• When setting point has been reached, skim off the most of the froth (scum) into a bowl (you can still eat this, it's not dirty just frothy) then add the knob of butter which will disperse the remaining scum.
• Let it cool for about 15 minutes so the fruit settles and doesn't sink to the bottom of the jars.
• Ladle into sterilised jars and leave to cool before sealing.

Notes

To Sterilise jars: thoroughly wash the jars, rinse in cold water, then turn upside down on a baking tray. Place in the oven and turn the heat on very low leave for about 15 minutes, remove just before filling.

To Test for Set: After about 5 mins, spoon a little jam onto a cold saucer. Place it back in the fridge for 2 minutes then push the jam with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, the jam is ready. If not, cook for a few mins more and test again, with another cold saucer. If you have a sugar thermometer, it will read 105C when ready.