river cottage plum jam


Plums -  after last year's massive harvest I was expecting a smaller yield this time round.
The tree on our allotment is only small, barely taller than I am, but once again it has produced a huge amount of fruit.
 70 lbs at a conservative estimate.
They are delicious, but there's only a certain amount of plums a person can eat. 
The carefully staged photo below belies the true situation.
I will admit to being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fruit.



Mr digandweed, laden with bags, has been knocking on neighbours' doors plying them with plums.
Lovely daughter took more bagfuls to her Nature Play group.
 The freezer is crammed with plums; the fridge with plum compote.
It has become obligatory to eat plums at every meal!



So it was time to get out the preserving pan and start some serious jam making.
This year for a change I tried the River Cottage recipe from the River Cottage Preserves handbook.
Plum jam is one of my favourites.
Easy to make, as the good quantities of natural pectin produce a reliable set and delicious to eat.


The ratio was 1.5kg of plums to 1.25kg sugar.
And the yield  8 x 340g  jars.

The jam is now safely stowed away in the cupboard and spread on hot buttered toast in the winter months to come, will be a delicious reminder of summer.

Have a happy weekend!

annjenny
x



Comments

  1. Can I reserve a jar of jam please!! xx

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  2. Oh I LOVE plum jam. My allotment plum tree has failed again, don't know why. It's a young tree, and growing well, but no plums. I am considering taking out my peach tree at home, which isn't a pretty thing, what with peach leaf curl and a slight lean to it, and replacing it with a plum. This year I'll probably go and pick cherry plums at a spot I know not far from here. They're delicious, just a bit fiddlier than normal-sized ones. CJ xx

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry your plum tree has failed again. Isn't it strange, I barely do anything to our tree - think it must like the Fen climate!If we lived nearer, you could have some of our plums! Hurray for wild cherry plums though xx

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  3. Oh, plum jam is just the best. I envy your stash! Have been fruit picking from the pots here, too. Four blueberries (that's four berries, not pounds). Maybe not quite enough for pancakes.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe you'll have a better crop of blueberries next year. Don't eat them all at once! x

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  4. You have reminded me I still have plums in the freezer from last year. We have so many growing wild around here I find them hard to resist.

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    Replies
    1. Plums are delicious, wild and cultivated.:)

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