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Urban Homesteading – Making the Perfect Plum Cinnamon Jam

Oct, 2013
by Andrea Nilsen Morse
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Fall is the perfect time of year for jam making.  Fruit is readily available, it’s nice to warm up the kitchen on a chilly weekend, and jam makes a great gift for the upcoming holidays.  
Last week, my good friend and I got together to make a batch of our frequently requested Plum Cinnamon jam.  Making jam is  an easy process, but it does take some time, so it’s fun to do with a friend, some snacks and a glass of wine!
First;  the fruit.  Here we used 4 lbs of red plums.  They’re a bit under ripe and slightly firm to the touch.  That makes peeling them much easier.  If the peel is going into the jam I buy organic fruit, if the peel is coming off, I’m less picky about conventional vs. organically grown fruit. 
Red plums.  I had already peeled a few so what’s shown is less than the 4 lbs. 
A vegetable peeler makes this job go quickly
Once peeled, chop the plums into segments, removing the pit of course
Plums starting out

Once the fruit is prepped, it goes into a large stainless steel pot with a lot of sugar (usually 1 cup per pound of fruit).  I know it sounds like a lot (and it is) but it is the sugar that preserves the fruit, so you really can’t skimp too much.  Just think of the finished product as an occasional treat, not an every day food.

At this point we zest one lemon and reserve the zest.  The juice of the lemon goes right into the mix.

A little heat and the plums start to soften

Golden goodness!

Once the plums have soften (maybe 30-45 minutes), a potato masher does a great job breaking up the chunks.  At this point you add 2 Tbsp. of dry pectin (or per the package directions), the zest of the lemon and a tsp. or so of cinnamon (that’s what gives it the reddish color in the photo above).

During the cooking process it is important to have your canning bath boiling (it takes a while to get a huge pot of water up to temp).  Once ready, you sterilize the jars, ladle, funnel etc, anything that’s going to be touching the jam.

Then you ladle it into jars.  I love a combo of the 8 oz and 4 oz ones.  Make sure to wipe the rim of the jar down with a damp cloth so the lid adheres properly.

The lids (which have been heating in a separate sauce pan) go on, then the ring (not too tight).  Then into the water bath they all go.

Jam before it’s canning bath

After 15 minutes in the canning bath, at temperature, you’re ready to turn off the heat and let them slowly cool.  If all has gone well you’ll here the satisfying sound of the lids popping as they seal.

Then it’s just a matter of letting them cool, putting on a nice label and packaging them up in a gift bag with some nice coffee and scone mix (really a great gift for your Thanksgiving host or for Christmas morning).

There are a few details of the process I’ve sort of glossed over, but don’t worry!  There are tons of resources online, like the Ball website, that tell you all about the exact temperatures, timing, and steps to make sure your jam is delicious and well preserved.

Enjoy!

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