Plum Jam

By ELY BONNER

When my husband and I got married, we stayed for a few months with my in-laws. The first time I went shopping with my mother in-law she bought 4 kilos of plum.

My mother in-law was a very good cook. She liked baking cakes and making jams. As a food technologist daughter in-law, I took over the cooking of the jam.

She was delighted because her method of cooking jam is what you can call hit and miss system – that is guessing the amount of sugar to be added and subjectively determining when the gel point is reached to stop.

Since my stay in Australia, I never allow summer to pass without making plum jam. It is easy to make as it has a good balance of natural acid and pectin. There are many varieties to choose from and the very red to real black is ideal for colour.

Some of these varieties are Angelina, Narrabeen and Satsuma. Always select fruits that are firm and not overripe for consistency.

Here is my plum jam recipe:

Ingredients:

1 kilo of plum pulp with skin (always include the skin for colour)
1-1/2 teaspoons of citrus pectin (only if the fruit is soft)
1 kilo of refined sugar

Procedure:

1. Sterilize preserving bottles using the dishwasher or boiling water and dry in the oven.

2. Wash the plum thoroughly and drain.

3. Cut into halves and remove the seeds.

4. Weigh the plum pulp and put into a stainless steel cooking pot.

5. Add sugar and heat to a boil with constant stirring.

6. When the pulp becomes soft, mash with a potato masher.

7. Add pectin if necessary and continue cooking until the gel point is reached.

8. Test the gel point by the use of a jam/jelly thermometer. If the thermometer is not available, lift the wooden spoon being used for stirring and allow the mixture to flow slowly on its side. if the jam forms a sheet before it drops the cooked point is reached.

9. Pour the jam into hot jars; remove air pockets by the use of a table knife and cover immediately. (Do not fill the jars up to the brim, leave a little space so that when the jars cool down a particle vacuum is formed inside. This results into a tight seal and the jam will last longer.)

(Cooking time is approximately 25 to 30 minutes.)