Golden Plum Jam

A simple summer preserve made with sweet yellow plums

There is something wonderfully old-fashioned about making plum jam.

A basket of ripe yellow plums, some sugar, a little water, and time are all you need to turn summer fruit into something you can enjoy long after the season has passed.

This recipe uses a traditional slow method: the plums are briefly cooked, then left to cool completely before being cooked again. Repeating the process several times allows the fruit to become tender while keeping much of its shape, and gives the syrup time to become beautifully rich and golden.

Spread it on toast, spoon it over pancakes, or simply open a jar in the middle of winter when you need a little reminder of summer.

Ingredients

(Makes 2 jars 280 ml each)

• 600 g yellow plums - about the amount in one 1 L basket from a supermarket

• 100 ml water

• 450 g sugar

How to Make

Prepare the Plums

1. Wash the plums thoroughly

2. Cut them in half and remove the pits

Make the Syrup

1. Place the water and sugar in a saucepan or sauté pan

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved

3. Add the prepared plums to the hot syrup

4. Cover and leave the plums to macerate in the syrup for 4-5 hours

Cook the Jam

The jam is cooked in five short stages, with several hours of cooling time between each one.

1. Bring the plums and syrup to a boil over medium heat

2. Reduce the heat and let the jam simmer gently for 5 minutes

3. Turn off the heat and cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel

Don't cover the hot jam with a lid yet. Condensation can form on the underside of the lid and drip back into the jam, adding water and making the syrup thinner.

4. Let the jam cool completely in the pan, or leave it for 6–8 hours

5. Repeat this cooking and cooling process four more times, for a total of five cooking stages

Preparing the Jars

Before the fifth and final cooking, prepare your jars and lids.

1. Wash the jars and lids thoroughly with baking soda

2. Rinse well under running water

3. Fill the jars with boiling water and leave them for 10–15 minutes

4. Drain and place the jars upside down on a clean kitchen towel

Now you're ready for the final cooking stage.

The Final Step

1. Bring the jam to a boil for the fifth and final time

2. While the jam is still boiling hot, carefully ladle it into the prepared jars

3. Seal the jars with the lids

4. Turn the jars upside down and cover them with a clean towel

5. Leave them until completely cool

6. Turn upright and store in a cool, dark place

Once opened, keep the jam refrigerated.

A Few Things to Know

This method works beautifully with other varieties of plums as well. You can also use nectarines - simply cut each nectarine half into 3-4 wedges instead of leaving the fruit in halves.

And because every batch of fruit is a little different, the final amount of jam can vary.