Sweet and tangy, with plenty of chunks, this Plum Preserves is definitely a favorite among family and friends. It's also perfect with some creamy Clotted Cream and toasted sourdough.
I've always loved plum preserves. Especially since mom made the BEST plum preserves I've ever had! But I have to admit, this recipe is a close second.
I wish I had written down mom's plum preserves recipe, but I'm sad to say I never did. But having mom's instinct for cooking, I knew I could come up with my own amazing plum preserves recipe.
A few days ago I bought a large bag of plums at the 99 cent store. I thought I was getting a great deal, but unfortunately, the joke was on me. The plums were quite lacking in the flavor department.
I guess it's true what they say, you get what you pay for. But I don't like throwing food away. Something else I picked up from my mom, perhaps? It was time to get creative!
Why This Recipe Works
What was I to do with three pounds of so-so tasting plums? Make preserves, of course!
There is something about cooking down the plums with sugar and orange juice that really enhances their flavor, or adds flavor where it did not already exist.
Obviously, if you start with delicious plums, you'll have even better results.
Although some recipes call for peeling the plums, I prefer to leave the skin on. It's actually one of my favorite elements of the recipe!
How to Make This Recipe
Note: You will need seven 8-ounce mason jars for this recipe.
Chop each plum into quarters and discard the seed. Weigh the plums with a kitchen scale to get three pounds.
Place ⅓ of the plums in a Dutch oven. Sprinkle with one cup of sugar. Repeat layering until all the sugar and plums are added. Sprinkle with the lemon and orange zest.
Heat over low flame until the sugar begins to dissolve, stirring occasionally.
Juice enough oranges to get half a cup of orange juice. In my case, it took two oranges to get a half a cup of juice.
Stir the orange juice into the plums and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the flame and set a timer for 30 minutes.
Eventually, the liquid will begin to rise and could boil over if you're not paying attention.
When you notice the liquid rising to the top of the pot, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the liquid recedes.
After cooking for 30 minutes, your preserves should reach the right consistency or gelling point.
When that happens, ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch head-space and process for 15 minutes in boiling water.
Recipe FAQs and Expert Tips
Yes, you can use frozen plums to make plum jam or preserves. Rinse off any ice crystals that may have formed on them before using them.
Just toss the plums into a Dutch oven along with the sugar until they defrost and continue on with the recipe.
If you are going to freeze plums, it's best to slice them in half and remove the pit prior to freezing them.
Although some prefer to remove the skin off of plums before using them in jam, I prefer to leave it on.
Not only do I love the added texture that the skin provides but it also adds more fiber to the recipe.
- If you prefer to make your plum preserves without the skin, just blanch the plums for approximately 45 seconds after slicing an "X" on the bottom of each plum first. This helps when peeling the skin off the plums.
- Remember that jam always thickens once it's refrigerated. Do not overcook.
- To get a smoother texture, you can either use an immersion blender while the preserves is in the pot, or run the preserves through a food processor.
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Plum Preserves Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-¼ lbs. plums (pits removed)
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 medium lemon zested
- 1 medium orange zested
- ½ cup orange juice freshly squeezed
Instructions
- You will need seven 8 oz mason jars for this recipe.
- Chop each plum into quarters and discard the seed. Weigh the plums with a kitchen scale to get three pounds.
- Place ⅓ of the plums in a Dutch oven. Sprinkle with one cup of sugar. Repeat layering until all the sugar and plums are added. Sprinkle with the lemon and orange zest.
- Heat over low flame until the sugar begins to dissolve, stirring occasionally.
- Juice enough oranges to get half a cup of orange juice. In my case, it took two oranges to get a half a cup of juice.
- Stir the orange juice into the plums and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the flame and set a timer for 30 minutes.
- Eventually, the liquid will begin to rise and could boil over if you're not paying attention.
- When you notice the liquid rising to the top of the pot, stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the liquid recedes.
- After cooking for 30 minutes, your preserves should reach the right consistency or gelling point. When that happens, ladle into sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch head-space and process for 15 minutes in boiling water.
Notes
- If you prefer to make your plum preserves without the skin, just blanch the plums for approximately 45 seconds after slicing an "X" on the bottom of each plum first. This helps when peeling the skin off the plums.
- Remember that jam always thickens once it's refrigerated. Do not overcook.
- To get a smoother texture, you can either use an immersion blender while the preserves is in the pot, or run the preserves through a food processor.
Susan says
I too love plum jam and can’t wait to try this version. Plums have a lot of pectin and a lot of which is in the seeds too. For that reason, I always tie the seeds into a cheesecloth square and remove the square when the cooking is complete. A previous post mentioned using all ripe plums and wondered if that could have contributed to a set failure. Yes, it’s important to include some less ripe fruit when making jams without commercial pectin. Additionally, performing a cold plate test or using a candy thermometer will help you zone in on the perfect gel stage.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Susan, all great advice, thank you so much for sharing!
Laurel Sutton says
Making your plum preserves tonight. Sounds yummy. Want to try blackberry jelly next. Do I need to use cheesecloth? Anything else that I could use that I wouldn’t have to buy? suggestions? Those seeds drive me nuts!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Laurel, It's funny you should ask. I'm not big fan of jelly and usually prefer chunkier jams/preserves. I did however make some chokecherry jelly today. I usually use soup bags, I love them and they're reusable. But if you don't want to spend money you can use a fine strainer or even a cotton napkin. Good luck!
Laurel Sutton says
I don’t know what a soup bag is but I’ll go buy some! LOL
Thanks for your help!
Dean Sockwell says
I left the pits in and while it was simmering I scooped out the pits easily. There’s so much pulp lost if you pit ripe fruit.
Hilda Sterner says
Great idea, how did it come out?
Al Warner says
Hmmm....I followed the recipe exactly but my jam did not jell. The plums were very ripe which I understand is all to the good for pectin but something has gone awry. Tastes great, though!
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Al,
The consistency will be different than jam and will be slightly looser (in other words preserves instead of jam, which has more of a jelled finish). However, it shouldn't be runny either. It does thicken upon cooling, so that may be an issue. If it's cooled off and not as thick as you'd like, you can continue to cook it a bit longer and cool some of it to see if it's at the right consistency. You just don't want to overcook or burn it. You can also add 1/2 of a pack of liquid pectin and boil it for one minute. That should thicken it right up. I hope that helps. I'm glad you at least like the flavor. You can always use it as a topping for ice cream, waffles, etc.
Lisa Johnson says
Can you use sugar substitute?
My Husband is diabetic. Either Stevia orTruvia?
Hilda Sterner says
I'm sorry, I've only made this jam with sugar. Although there are sugar-free recipes for jam, I can't guarantee the results. You can attempt it if you'd like or just look for a sugar-free jam recipe instead.Good luck!
Faith Foust says
Just made a 1/2 batch as that's all the plums I had but am going out tomorrow to buy more. This is the easiest recipe and SO delicious. I love it when I don't need to use pectin. Can't wait to have more jars to give as gifts.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Faith. I love this recipe too. I used lemon last time because I didn't have oranges. It's a little on the sour side, but still delicious.
Sarah says
What do you do with it after you can it? I just made 13 quarts. Lol.
HildaSterner says
Haha,eat it, ship it to family and friends, give it as gifts, stocking stuffers 😉, sell at craft shows, farmer's markets... shall I continue?