Diane's Colorado Wild plum jam

Diane's Colorado Wild Plum Jam

Ingredients:
4 pounds whole ripe wild plums (we have awesome wild plums here in the Rocky Mtns.- you want 4 cups of mashed fruit) 
1 cup water (reserve the water from boiling the plums to release the pits)
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons dark rum
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 package Pamona Universal Pectin
     *sugar amounts listed are part of using Pamona Pectin - if you use a different        brand pectin - your sugar requirement will be increased dramatically. 

Directions:
Discard the plum pits, but leave the skin on, and finely chop the fruit (or if pitting is too difficult, throw the plums into the pot whole). Simmer the plums and 1 cup water in a stainless steel pot over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. (If fruit still has pits, let the mixture cool slightly and pull out the pits. Discard pits.) reserve water for jam. The water will be red from the plums, this is normal.

Place the plum water and mashed fruit into large sauce pot with a vanilla bean. Add the calcium water: stir well.  Measure out your sugar in a separate bowl, and mix in the pectin powder. 

Bring fruit mixture to a boil and add in the rum, cook for 15 seconds and add in the honey and sugar/pectin mixture, stirring vigorously 1-2 minutes to dissolve the sugar and pectin. Once entire mixture returns to a full boil, remove from heat. Test to see if the mixture is set, put a tablespoon of jam onto a freezer safe plate that has been placed in your freezer for at least 10 minutes, jam should not run when dolloped onto plate and held vertical/tilted.  

Meanwhile, sterilize the jars, lids and bands according to manufacturer's directions. Ladle the jam into the hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch head-space. Wipe the rims and threads of the jars clean and seal with lids and bands. Place filled jars into the boiling water bath. Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. (*or according to local regs.)
Remove jars and let cool 24 hours. Label, and store in cool, dry place.

Makes approx eight 8-ounce jars

Recipe and Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home 

---

#fall #jam #plums