Plum Jam with Cardamom

Cardamom a wonderful spice that never entered Canarella-ville. Well let us change that today. Summer brings you yet one more great fruit. Plums and we are blessed to have a wonderful tree that gives me just enough to not run out of ideas. 

This year I am adding some cardamom spice. Never tried it but have seen several different sites that have. The spice itself is not one of my favorite the recipes I have read say it does good things to Plum Jam. So let us get started.

Here is a little cardamom information to make the decision on which type you would like to use. There is green and black cardamom. Seeds or ground. I used ground black cardamom because my plums are so sweet the flavor calmed it a bit. The green cardamom has a zesty citrus flavor that can be somewhat sweet and spicy. the black is a smoky minty flavor. You to can use them whole in a spice bag or ground. Ground is not as powerful. But remember that with this spice a little goes a long way. 

Ingredients

6 pounds of plums

(That breaks down to 6-8 plums per sup)

3 cups sugar

¼ cup of lemon                                                                                                                              1 teaspoon of cardamom

Wash you plums, pit and chop. No need to peel your plums the skins will dissipate. Place the plums into a wide pot with two cups of the sugar. Stir so all your plums are coated and cover them. After one hour put your plums on to the stove to start cooking. Get your pot up to a steady heat. This is the time you want to smash your plums. I use a simple potato masher for all my jams. If I need them really thinned out I will use my immersion blender. I love jam that is thick and chunky.

Now add your lemon juice, cardamom and last cup of sugar. Keep a nice rolling boil going and get everything combined.  You can let your jam cook for an additional 30 to 40 minutes. You want to get the plums soft and a nice gel going. Now you should have your water bath ready and the jars in it getting warm. I use 8 ounce jars for all my jam. They are small enough to hold enough jam but not so big you waste any. 

Once your jam is set turn off the heat and start to fill your jars. Funnel the jam into the jars. Fill to about 1/2" from the rim. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and twist and process the jars in the water bath for 12 minutes. Remember the water bath must be at a full boil to start the process. 

When the 12 minutes has passed remove your jars and place them on the counter with a towel below. Let your jam sit until completely cooled. Once cooled remove the twist and label and date. Never store your goods with the twist on. 

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.

Italian Dried Plum Jam with Granny Smith Apples

Prune Jam the thought does conjure up a few things like "euuu" prunes. But this is not your Grama's prune ! These are sweet and delicious Italian Dried Plums.

Using brown sugar instead of the standard white makes it glorious ! 

This jam is thick and delicious.






Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds of dried plums/prunes
* Soak your prunes for up to 4 hour 
4 chopped granny smith apples
4 cups of brown sugar
1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice


Get all your equipment ready as I have said in the past it makes any job in your kitchen easier and fun when all is ready for you. Well let's get started ..





You can put your softened plums/prunes into a large stainless steel pot and add the brown sugar and lemon juice let this simmer while you cut up the apples.

Peel and chop your apples. I did this by hand as there was no reason to take the peeling tool out with only four apples being used. I kept a bowl of fresh lemon juice to dip the apple once I had the peel off. The reason why is it will prevent it from browning. Oh I know what you are saying won't it turn brown with the plum's anywho? Yup but some habit's are just hard to stop.




I will keep a small amount of my chopped apples aside to add during the last few minutes of making this batch. Oh why you ask again? Well I use the immersion blender to break up the apples and prunes but I do still want some small pieces of apple in the jam.

Ok now add the chopped apples to the mixture in the pot. mix this and bring it up to a boil. Using your immersion blender or what ever you use to thin out the jam do it. Once it is the consistency you like add the remaining apples.

Bring it backup to a boil and check the consistency and taste. Is it what you like?
Keep in mind that all jam's get better while they sit. So if you think it is not sweet enough or something give it time.





Fill your jar until they have 1/4 inch of head space and wipe the rim clean. Seal and twist lid. Process for 10 minutes into your  water bath.

When done lift out of the water bath and let cool overnight or at least eight hours. Label and store no twist tie left on. 












Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes.     

Whole Plum Jam (No Peeling)

Plum Jam with little or no work . Impossible you say ! Not anymore. I searched the website and with the help of Natashas Kitchen we have a no peeling Plum Jam. Natasha's was a bit more work but with a bit of boiling and cooking which she did over a 2 to 3 day period. Personally I do not have 2 or 3 day's to stir any jam.

I spent a few hours and a box of pectin and this jam was heavenly. And in one afternoon no less. This is simple and absolutely beautiful. Let's get started


You will get approximately 8 to 10 half pint jars.




Ingredients

3 pounds of plum
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups of sugar
3 whole cinnamon sticks (personal choice) optional
1 box of powder pectin
 

Clean your plums and take out the stems. Remove any brown spots on the skin. Plums do sometimes have brown leather like spots on them and are easily removed with a sharp knife. Take your plums split them and take out the pits.




 Once the plums are pitted place them into a large bowl. Cover the plums with 2 of the 5 cups of sugar and coat them until tossing and turning until the sugar dissolves.






 

If you would like to you may chop you plums parts smaller if needed. I like mine to dissipate as they cook and use a immersion blender to thin them out in the final cooking time






You have a smooth syrup texture covering the plums halves and a lovely syrup on the bottom of the bowl.




Let this mixture sit for 40 minutes it allows the sugar to dissolve even more. Get a large stainless steel stock pot to cook your plums. You will be cooking them over the next 3 hours. Slow and steady.







Once the plums have soaked up there sugar pour them into your stock pot and simmer to a rolling boil. Keep an eye on the mixture and stir often. Next add you box of pectin and bring back to a rolling boil.




If your plums have not broken down the the size you would like them take an immersion blender and run it through slowly don't pulverize it. We love chunks of fruit in our jam's. That is the beauty of Jam's.



Once you have the right consistency bring it back up to a rolling boil add the last 3 cups of sugar. Have your jar's and water-bath ready to process the jam. Take the pot off the heat skim the foam and fill you jars ¼ inch from the top. Wipe the rims of your jars clean. Do make sure you prep your lids.





Add cap on the lids and the bans and give them a well deserved bath for 15 minutes. Now when you take them out let them sit over night. Prior to storing the jars remove the twist part of the lid, make sure the jar's have sealed. Wipe your jars clean there is nothing worse than opening a jar and having it all sticky. EUUU

Store in a cool and dry place . Remember to remove the bands when storing.
 Replace once you have opened the jar. 

Disclaimer: This is not an all inclusive recipe for making jam. You should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the canning process before proceeding. Please consult your local Center for Home Preservation for additional information and available classes

Whole Plums in Jalapeno Honey Syrup

So I went to the neighbors tree the house is empty and the fruit is abound. Well i came home with a bucket of fresh off the tree Santa Rosa plums. The beauty of picking your own is the size varies which makes it really good for canning whole fruit. When you need a small fruit to just top of the jar it is there. I find that most of the fruit beyond all the crap they use to grow it are all the same size, shape and taste.euuu...Farmers markets and pick your own is the best.
So I search the Internet and there is literally nothing on canning whole plums with a twist. So first I went to my go to website Canning-Food-Recipes.com  for some information on plums in general then I found a recipe on Bees and Chicks and in their Garden to Kitchen pages is a great recipes for plum stuff and a link to some others.If you want to start out easy no spices go to Food In Jars she has the original idea.

Plums in Jalapeno Honey Syrup

This will make you 6 quarts and 2 pints ( I make two smaller jars to test prior to opening the quarts)

The plums I use are various sizes 


For your jars
Approximately 4 quarts/16 cups of cleaned whole plums
1 tbs of dried jalapeno per jar

For your Syrup
10 cups of water
4 1/2 cups of honey
In a pot bring your water to a boil turn it down and slowly adds your honey. Keep stirring until it is well combined. Now turn the heat to low while you prep your jars. 

Clean your plums and take the stems off. Place 1 tablespoon of your dried jalapenos in the bottom of each jar. Pack you plums half way up - Squash them tight - Put the remaining jalapeno in and finish packing your plums.

Now fill your jars with your syrup. Fill them to 1/2" from the top of your jars. I know when we do jams it is a 1/4" from the top. Go figure.Wipe the rims of your jars clean of any sticky stuff, pop the lids and rings. Make sure the rings are on tight. Once a batch of cinnamon apples one was not tight and I had cinnamon apples every where in the canning pot ...

Here is an easy way to get your lids done and not have two burners going. The trick with lids is they do not want to be brought to a boil. Just warm water. I find that once my Canning pot has come to a nice rolling boil I take my small bowl and grab some of the boiling water in my canning pot and pop my lids in it. It is hot but not boiling once  it hits the bowl and you grab your lids and they are ready.

Alright get your jars in the canning pot bringing it back to a boil and time them for 25 minutes.

Ok when the timer goes off get those jars out of the pot and place on the counter. Do not fret if the jars dribble red syrup They are just happy!  It is ok they will still seal but put something down on the counter because your jars are going to leave a sticky bottom. Alright let them sleep for a day at least 16 to 24 hours. The next day remove your screw bands, make sure everything is sealed and wipe all the sticky off the jars.  Store them in your pantry or a cool spot for a year if they last that long. Label - Label - Label our three favorite words....

Notice in my pictures I have taken the same recipe and added four lemon slices per jar ..always tweaking...It is a gift and curse