Homemade Plum Jam

Our friend Grace grows the plumpest and juiciest plums in her well maintained garden, and gave Mum around 3.5kg last week. We (well my parents, I just make the bottles look pretty) have been making jam every year for quite a number of years now, and find store bought jam just full of sugar.

The recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly's The Book of Preserves book published in 1990 (wow, 22 years!)

• 28 medium (2kg) blood plums
• 1 litre (4 cups) water
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 6 cups (1/5 kg) sugar 

Make sure your saucepan is clean or your jam will taste like what was last cooked in the pot (anyone for sweet and sour pork plum jam?!) Even though this pot is just for jams and sweets, Mum still cleans it with a wedge of lemon to make sure it's super clean.

Cut plums into halves, remove stones. We wrap the stones in a muslin cloth and boil it with the plums. Combine plums and water in large saucepan, bring to boil, simmer, covered for 1 hour.


Add juice and sugar to saucepan, stir over heat without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil, boil, uncovered, without stirring for about 30 minutes or until jam jells when touched. Pour into hot sterilised jars, seal when cold. Makes about 8 cups.


I get to do the fun bit! Last night I wrapped lids with paper doilies, tie with cotton string and I stamped each jar with a bird stamp I bought from Typo which is one of my favourite store filled with stationery and little bits and pieces of creativity.