A good friend brought me a bucket of Italian Plums she gleaned and so I needed to figure out what to do with them. So it seemed jam was what I was focusing on this week. I had realized it was September and I had not canned a single jar of jam. Now I have 2 kinds, stored for the winter.
This recipe is lower sugar, calling for 3 cups of sugar. A traditional jam would have had 7 cups. The Ball pectin I used can also take less sugar or even use fruit juice if it is desired, it has recipes both on the container and online. It comes in a multi-batch bottle as well, where you can make 2 to 8 jars a batch, based on how much fruit you have. Great if you don’t have a lot, or have a smaller family. I did a full batch however as I have many to feed.
Most grocery stores sell this pectin in the canning section, look up high for it.
Lower Sugar Plum Jam
Ingredients:
- 5 1/3 cups plums pitted and diced
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 6 Tbsp Ball Realfruit Low or No Sugar Pectin
- 3 cups granulated sugar
Directions:
Place 8 6-ounce canning jars in a water bath canner. Fill the jars with water, then fill pot with water to cover the jars. Bring to a near boil, then let simmer, while you are working.
Pit and dice plums, then place in a large pot, stir in water and pectin.
Bring to full rolling boil over high heat (a boil that doesn’t stop when stirring). Stir in sugar quickly, return to a full rolling boil, cook for 1 minute after it returns to the boil. Take off the heat.
Drain jars using tongs, place on a clean kitchen towel. Ladle the hot jam into the bars, using a sterilized canning funnel. Leave a ¼” headspace.
Dip a clean paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.
Turn canner up to high, place jars in water bath rack, lower rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, and then process for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.
Once cooled, check again that seals are down (you should hear the Ping! as each one seals). Gently remove bands (wash, dry and store for your next project. While they look nicer on, if they have water inside from processing, they can rust. If you are giving away your canned items, you can always slip one back on), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.
As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard it immediately! (I have only ever lost one jar in all my canning, so don’t fret!)
This batch made 7 6-ounce jars (42 ounces). I always add in another jar just in case there is extra jam – if not, just let it air dry and set aside.
~Sarah