Spiced Plum Jam
Preserve the last of the summer plums with Spiced Plum Jam. It makes ideal holiday gifts with its warming spices - and delicious on brioche, croissants or served as part of a cheeseboard or with foie gras.
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2¼lb) Victoria or Ente Plums (ripe but still quite firm) stones removed, skins on
- 650 g (1½lb) Granulated sugar
- 4 cardamoms
- 2 cloves
- 2 teaspoon Gingerbread (pain d'épices) or pumpkin spice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or juice of ½ lemon)
Instructions
- Wash and cut the plums in half, removing the stones (there's no need to peel the fruit). Weigh the fruits and add the equivalent of sugar (I use 650g to each kilo). Add the spices and lemon juice then leave covered at room temperature for about 4 hours or overnight.
- In a large high-sided jam pan, boil up the sugared spicy plums, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. After 5-10 minutes, skim off and discard any scum (white foam) that appears on the surface. Continue for about another 15 mins until the fruit softens and the jam thickens.
- Remove the whole spices and squeeze out the cardamom seeds into the jam.Ladle or spoon into sterilised jars, leaving a gap of about a centimetre at the top (To sterilise: I just use the dishwasher, as machines' normal settings should be hot enough to sterilise them. If you don't have a dishwasher, clean the jars and lids in soapy water, rinse then immerse for at least 10 mins in boiling water).
- Tightly screw on the lids, turn the jam jars upside down. When cool, label and store in a cool dry place.
Notes
The additional spices make this an ideal Christmas gift. Delicious served with Brioche or a great accompaniment to a festive cheese platter.