Tangy Pink Plum Jam

Today we popped into our local farm shop to buy some raspberries and strawberries to enjoy eating in the garden, and I saw some lovely magenta plums that made me want to make jam.

I haven't made any jam yet this year and the urge suddenly took me. It's like this with greengrocers; I see lovely produce and want to make loads of stuff we don't really need. I love jam but don't eat a lot of it, so it's a great thing to make and squirrel away for present giving.

Currently though, I'm stockpiling preserves for a couple of events this Autumn. One is the Avonwick and North Huish Apple Fair, which Andy's parents help to run in their village each year. And the other is Devon Open Studios, as I will be opening my house to visitors for a couple of weeks and showing off my drawings and workspace. I will be serving cuppas and tasty snacks, and thought it might help with the costs of the fees if I sell a little home produce alongside it. 

I thought I should also start raising some funds to help with my dream of making a real book with my many many recipes for A Bouquet of Wooden Spoons a reality. I don't yet know how or when that is going to happen, but it's the end goal so saving some pennies for printing might be the best idea. If you'd like to buy a jar of this lovely Plum Jam they are £2.20 each, so let me know!


1kg plums
600g sugar
1 mug water


This recipe is for a really nice tangy jam. I don't like jam to be too sweet so I tend to use less sugar than many recipes. A lot of jams are equal parts fruit to sugar, so I leave at least a quarter out. This time. I left out more than a third. 

So, I started by washing and draining the plums, then slicing them into quarters so I could twist out the stones. I didn't use the stones at all as there is so much pectin in the skins of plums to help the jam set without them. If you are using really ripe fruit you might need the juice of a lemon to help reach setting point, but these were all under ripe, except for two riper ones I kept back to chomp on. 

Once all the fruit is in the pan, set it on a medium heat with a good splosh of water to stop the fruit sticking; about a mug full. Keep an eye on the plums and stir regularly. Simmer away until the fruit is soft and pulpy. Use a potato masher to help break up any large lumps. 



Add all the sugar and stir well on a low heat until fully dissolved. Turn the heat right up and bring to a rapid boil. Keep a close watch and stir very frequently, as plums really want to stick, and you don't want black bits in your pretty pink jam. 

After about ten minutes, when it's looking syrupy and possibly ready, do a plate test. Dribble a little of the hot liquid onto a plate and wait for a couple of minutes before pushing your finger across the surface. If there is any wrinkling, you know the jam will be able to set. 


Remove the pan from the heat and ladle into sterilised jars. Enjoy!