Cherry Plum Jam

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) cherry plums or plums

• 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds or 5 cups) regular granulated white sugar

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, or half of a vanilla bean, scraped (optional)

Directions

1. Sterilize your jars and let them cool

2. Count the number of cherry plums of plums you are using

3. Either pit or place the whole cherry plums or regular plums into a large heavy bottom pot. Personally, I prefer to pit my plums ahead of time so I don’t have to worry about molten lava jelly later on. Bring the pan to medium heat. Heat until the plums burst and release some juices. Stir frequently so they do not burn on the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the sugar and lemon juice and stir

5. Bring the plum mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a hard simmer. If you did not pit your cherry plums or plums, smash them against the side of the pot with a wood spoon until they release their pits. The pits should fall to the bottom of the pot

6. Heat until the jam reaches a temperature of 105 C (221 F). When I make this, the temperature climbs quickly to about 218F, and then it seems to take forever and a day before reaching 221. Be patient. You can go as high as 225 if you prefer your jam to be more thickly set. If you do not have a thermometer, place a small plate in the freezer. When the jam in the pot has noticeably thickened, place a small spoon of it on the plate from the freezer. If it looks set like, well… jam, it is done. If it is too runny, continue cooking it and repeat the test every few minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, if using.

Made by Jenny