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.

Plum-Strawberry Jam

Plum and Strawberry Jam just the name makes my mouth water. There are a "ton" of recipes out there. Some are simple with a ton of sugar and then there are the few who want me to mix and macerate my plum mixture in the refrigeratpor for a day or two. Look,  first do not have that kind of time and what the heck is macerate?


Moving on !

I was invited again to go strip Jean's tree's and the plums are so nice. This is a super simple recipe and just divine to eat.

Keep the skins on the plums they will cook down and give the jam a nice color mixed with the strawberries. Unlike the Plum Jam the mixture with the strawberries is not quite as time intense. 

Ingredients

3 cups chopped Plums
3 Cups chopped Strawberries
5 cups sugar
1/4 cup of lemon juice
Packet of powder pectin (optional)


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.




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

Clean and cut your strawberries in half. I find with my jams that even though I cut my fruit rather large as it cooks down the fruit gets smaller. You can also use a potato smasher to make your fruit smaller. 

 I always save a few of the pits from my fruit and crush them and place the crushed pits into a small bag. The pits give your jam a nutty taste. This is a personal option.You can do this with any stone fruit.





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. The strawberry's will survive . Don't be scared Bucko 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 sugar and lemon. Bring it back up to a rolling boil.

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 or better yet Mildodo









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