Boozy Plum Jam Recipe

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Whether you are wondering what to do with overripe plums or looking for a creative plum jam recipe, you’ve come to the right place. Surprisingly easy to make, this plum preserve is especially good as an accompaniment for a variety of cheese. However, it will do justice to your morning toast as well.

Health benefits of plums

Did you know that plums not only taste good but are also good for your health? According to WebMD, plums are a good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, folate and vitamins C, A, and K. You can read more here.

Plums used in this recipe

There are over 2,000 plum varieties grown in the world all with the different flavour profile. For this recipe, we used Santa Rosa red plums, which were overripe and badly in need of salvaging. While you don’t have to use this exact plum varietal, we strongly recommend using red plums in this plum jam recipe. Similarly, you do not have to wait for your plums to go mushy on you. Should you, like us, end up with a bunch of overripe plums, making this and other plum jams is a good way to save the fruit from the compost bin. 

Yield

The specified in this jam recipe quantity of ingredients should yield enough of jam to fill three 8 oz. (250 ml.) mason jars. The final yield may vary based on your preferred level of jam doneness.

Brandied Plum Jam with Exotic Spices

This boozy plum jam recipe blends plums, brandy, raisins, and a dash of exotic spices to create a truly unique and delicious jam. Easy to scale up, this recipe requires no pectin and will come in handy when you don’t know what to do with overripe plums.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Resting time 2 hours hours

Servings 3 x 8 oz. (250 ml.) mason jars

Equipment

• large pot with a heavy bottom
• wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
• measuring cups

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Ingredients

• 5.5 lb 2.5 kg red plums
• 2.5 cup sugar
• 2 sprigs of orange mint optional
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 1/5 cup Sultana raisins
• 2 anise pods
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

Prepare the Plums:

• Thoroughly wash the plums and remove stems if any. Keeping the skin on, remove any bruising.
• Cut the pit out. Since this plum jam recipe does not require blending the fruit, you need to slice the plums into larger pieces.

Cooking the Plums:

• Combine the sliced plums with sugar in a heavy-bottomed wide pot
• Allow the plums to macerate for 2 hours or even overnight to help dissolve the sugar and release their juices.
• Wash the orange mint, if using, and let it dry.
• Just before you're ready to start cooking the jam, wash raisins till water runs clean. Pour alcohol over the raisins and set aside.
• Place the pot over medium heat, bringing the plums to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• After 30 minutes of cooking, add the anise pods, cinnamon stick, and, optionally, orange mint.
• After 40 minutes of cooking, add sultana raisins and brandy. Carefully mix everything together.
• Stir your jam regularly to prevent it from scorching at the bottom.
• (!) As you are nearing the end of cooking, remove anise pods, cinnamon stick and orange mint. Unless you do that, your jam will end up tasting like a cough medication. Not exactly what you want in a jam!
• (!) Ensure the jam is boiling as you proceed to the next step. Have your Mason jars ready for immediate canning of your delicious plum jam preserve.

Preserve Type Jam

Cuisine Fusion

Diet Vegan

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Enjoy the boozy Plum Jam!

• Toast Bread, Scones and Pastries: Spread this plum jam generously on toast, freshly baked bread, or croissants for a classic and simple breakfast treat. Additionally, consider using this jam with scones or pastries to elevate your teatime experience.
• Yogurt Parfait: Layer plum jam with yogurt and granola for a tasty parfait.
• Cheese Pairing: Pair it with cheese, such as brie or goat cheese, for a sweet and savory combination that’s perfect for appetizers or a cheese board.
• Ice Cream Topping: Spoon this boozy plum jam over vanilla or fruit-flavored ice cream for a delightful topping.

Check our other Plum Jam Recipes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reduce Sugar and add pectin to make this jam?

While we like experimentation, we recommend against making this adjustment for this specific recipe. There’s plenty of naturally occurring pectin in plum skins. Substituting sugar with pectin will result in a plum jam that has a different texture. Additionally, the flavor profile is going to be different too. As much as we appreciate culinary experimentation, we advise against this adjustment for our plum jam recipe. Plum skins naturally contain pectin. Substituting sugar with pectin will alter the jam’s texture and flavor profile significantly.

How can I increase size of this jam batch?

To scale up the batch, simply double or triple the ingredients. When doing so, ensure you use an adequately sized pot to maintain a jam layer no deeper than 5 inches. You’ll also need to extend the cooking time for each cooking round by 10 minutes and stir the jam more frequently to prevent scorching at the bottom.

Can I make this jam without removing the pits?

While it might seem like a time-saver, we strongly discourage it. Not only does jam with pits make for an unpleasant eating experience, but there’s also a risk of accidentally chipping a tooth if you overlook a pit.