I called
this jam Plum Plus because in
addition to the plums I included a handful of blueberries, some sour cherry
nectar and a splash of Amaretto (an almond flavoured liqueur).
I have
posted about my normal approach to jam making – here.
But I used
a different technique for this jam and it worked just fine. I didn't pit the plums (1.5k) but simply put
them in the jam pot with the sour cherry
nectar and some water and simmered them for 30 minutes.
The fruit
turned pulpy and I was able to fish out the plum pits with a slotted
spoon. I missed a few I think but they
will be easy to spot when spreading the jam.
I then
added the sugar (1k of jam setting sugar) and a tablespoon or so of Amaretto. You boil this away merrily until you get to
the setting stage. It took longer
because of the original water that needed to be boiled off a bit.
The only
stressful thing about making jam is making sure that you boil it long enough
for the jam to set but not so long that it goes too thick and loses the fresh
flavour. As a result my jams tend to be
a bit on the runny side ever since one overcooked disaster which was
practically inedible.
I have never made jam. When I do I want to add amaretto. That sounds like a fine idea and would pair well with so many different types of fruit...or a "plus" style jam...haha! Looks great, Carole! Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about boiling jam...it can be so stressful. I too, make mine a bit on the runny side.
ReplyDeleteHow smart was that to not pit the plums! Love the amaretto addition too.
ReplyDeleteMmm, the amaretto sounds like a lovely addition.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother used to tell this story about how my grandfather asked her why her plum jam always had the pits in when other people's did not. She made him some pots without the pits and he told her to not do that again because hers tasted so much better. The pits add a nutty undertone to the taste. Her and I spent a lot of our time together making jams and other preserves and they are so much better than any you can buy. She just said don't leave the pits in when making peach jam because peach pits contain arsenic....don't know if that is an old wives tale or not.
ReplyDeleteNever made jam -- this sounds yummy. I bet it's good with the amaretto.
ReplyDeleteI've never made jam, but I like buying it from local sources -- especially ones like this where they use several fruits.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of adding amaretto to jam - yum!!
ReplyDeleteOh boy, your plum jam sounds fantastic.
ReplyDelete