Plum jam

[Big Al]

Anuone got a favourite recipe for plum jam please?

The last two years i've tried to make it but it's not set either year. I've used the same amount of sugar as plums, half the amount of sugar to plums, used pectin and also pectin / lemon juice. I've even tried using some of the pith or inner stones as recomended by mrs B. I've done the rolling boil at 104 Deg C for anytrhing between 5 minutes and 20 mins.

All attempts have produced eatable jam but not a hard set jam. I've used victoria plums on all occasions and have had no problems at all for other fruit jams.

TIA

Big Al.

[Green Aura]

Blimey Al, don't know how you managed that. I've only made it once and it set like a brick! Well almost It melted on toast OK though

Can't remember exactly how I made it but I do know I left both skin and stones in because I love them. Are you adding water or something? I'm fairly certain, but don't hold me to it, that it was just equal amounts of plums and sugar, heat gently to stew the fruit and dissolve the sugar then boil like mad (my old jam thermometer was in Farenheit )->220 = 105C. No idea how long though - probably too long in my case!

Sorry that wasn't much help was it!

[Big Al]

Blimey Al, don't know how you managed that. I've only made it once and it set like a brick! Well almost It melted on toast OK though

Can't remember exactly how I made it but I do know I left both skin and stones in because I love them. Are you adding water or something? I'm fairly certain, but don't hold me to it, that it was just equal amounts of plums and sugar, heat gently to stew the fruit and dissolve the sugar then boil like mad (my old jam thermometer was in Farenheit )->220 = 105C. No idea how long though - probably too long in my case!

Sorry that wasn't much help was it!

It was of help Maggie because that's what i've done. As I said, I've tried all different methods and all turn out runny. My mother used to ban us from the kitchen on jam making days as it was her " secret recipe" [ probably re labeling robinsons jam if you ask me] but there's nowt to making jam which is why this one is so perplexing.

[pelmetman]

I've always had the same thing with plum jam, it just never sets, in our house we now call it plum sauce

Just had a friend round this morning so he could pick our surplus plums and also gave him a huge bag of apples, in return he always gets us rabbits, pheasants and pigeons for the pot. Anyway he said how he was going to make plum jam and I mentioned how mine never sets he said to use jam sugar, (I always use ordinary sugar) he reckoned this works every time.

Sue

[pelmetman]

Some people don't half know how to rub it in

Sue

[Millymollymandy]

I thought pectin would make it even harder! I think the kind of plum makes a difference because damsons barely need to boil before reaching setting point, whereas greengages don't overset within seconds like damsons, thankfully.

I've never had a problem with jam not setting (only the opposite ) - BUT - I can only reach rolling boil with my faulty gas burner, not the biggest one, which just isn't hot enough for a huge pan. The faulty one sends up a huge flame (the knob was already black and half melted when we bought the house). So it can depend on the size of your pan and amount of jam you are making to the heat you get from your gas/electric.

[boboff]

Al the powdered pectin is definately the way to go. When you buy "Jam Sugar" it's just normal sugar with that added. The amount you use and the set you achieve will depend on the Ph & Brix of the Jam you are making, there are 100's of different types of the stuff designed for different products, to achieve perfection you will need a refractometer, Ph meter, and a team of analysts.

I would guess though and if you think from the Saucer test it's not going to set then add more sugar, this can sometimes work, but not always.

63 - 65% sugar is what you are aiming for in most Jams, as at this level most moulds etc won't grow, so if your 50/50 then you need quite sweet plums....................

[greenorelse]

Funny, a book on preserves which, on the face of it, is quite authoritative, states early on something like this: "60% sugar is imperative; more and the sugar crystallises, less and mould develops."

The plum jam recipe then calls for 50% sugar, 50% plums...

Most books also state something like, "When the jam reaches 104.5℃, the setting point has been reached." But often, no help from there on. What if you've reached the setting point and it doesn't set?

Yes, my plum jam turned out a tad runny, not unusable though - still delicious. I boiled up stones with it (supposed to be the highest source of pectin) plus a lot of crushed-up kernels, and plums are listed in the 'high pectin' categories. Sigh. Can it be un-potted and re-boiled?

[MKG]

It most certainly can, greenorelse - the saviour of many a jam as far as I'm concerned.

Reboil away - you can't harm it.

Mike

[Big Al]

Thanks for the input folks. I have set plumb jam!! Mind you it was 100% plumbs 100% sugar so it is a bit "sweet,lol.
I used granulated sugar and 1 sachet 13g] of pectin per kg of sugar.

Still 16 pounds of sugar will help rot the teeth faster

Maybe I need to boil some up again with some more plums.....