Spiced Plum Jam With Walnuts And Brandy – Canning Recipe

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You could never have too much of spiced plum jam! After our initial small batch plum jam became a hit with our friends, we created more spiced plum jam recipes for canning, including this one. Just like our previous recipe, we made this plum jam without pectin. As always, and that’s a beauty of our homemade jams, we made this plum jam without any artificial preservatives. Whether you’re looking for a delightful breakfast addition, an accompaniment for cheese, or a unique topping for desserts, this spiced plum jam offers a world of culinary possibilities. We hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Plums used in this jam recipe

Speaking of having too much of good stuff. We stumbled upon a great deal at our local farmers’ market – a crate of overripe Santa Rosa plums for just $10, leaving us with a whopping 12 kg (26.5 lb) of plums in need of a rescue mission. The outcome? Four exciting Santa Rosa plum jam recipes for canning we’re eager to share!

Don’t feel constrained by our reference to Santa Rosa plums in this recipe. Any red plums you come across will work just as well, and you can even experiment with black plums for a subtle flavor variation.

Plus, you needn’t wait for your plums to become overly ripe. However, if, like us, you find yourself with a bunch of overripe plums, making this plum jam, along with other delicious variations, is an excellent way to rescue the fruit from ending up in the compost bin.

Spiced Plum Jam with walnuts and brandy

Here you have it, a plum jam that is anything but ordinary! It's a delicious fusion of spiced plums, warming brandy, and rich walnuts. This versatile recipe is pectin-free. It is perfect if you want to add a creative jam with a twist to your jam collection or simply for using up overripe plums.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Resting time 10 hours hours

Equipment

• heavy-bottomed pot
• wooden spoon or silicone spatula
• potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes

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Ingredients

• 5 ½ lb. (2.5 kg) red plums
• 2 ½ cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1 anise pod
• 1 cinnamon stick
• ½ cup walnuts preferably raw

Instructions

Preparing Ingredients for Spiced Plum Jam:

• Begin by thoroughly washing the plums and removing any stems. Keep the skin on but remove any bruised areas.
• Remove the pits from the plums. Slice the plums into larger pieces.
• Wash and set aside the walnuts in a suitably sized pan.
• Measure out the spices and brandy.

Cooking the Plum Jam – Day 1:

• In a heavy-bottomed wide pot, combine the sliced plums with sugar.
• Let the plums macerate for 2 hours or even overnight to dissolve the sugar and plums to release their juices.
• Place the pot over medium heat, bringing the plums to a boil. Add the anise pod and a cinnamon stick. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer your plum jam for 30 minutes.

  Turn off the heat and let the jam sit overnight for flavors to infuse.

Cooking the Plum Jam – Day 2:

• Pour hot water over the walnuts and place the pan over medium heat. Lower the heat to simmer once the water boils.
• Gently simmer the walnuts for 20 minutes. Drain the walnuts and add them to the plum jam mixture along with the brandy. Stir everything together.
• Place the pot over medium heat again and bring the plum jam to a boil once more. Reduce the heat back to a simmer and continue cooking your plum jam for another 40 minutes.
• Stir your jam regularly to prevent it from scorching at the bottom.
• As you approach the end of cooking, remove the anise pod and cinnamon stick.
• 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.

Yield

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

Preserve Type Jam

Cuisine European

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This is how to enjoy this spiced plum jam:

• Yogurt Parfait: Layer plum jam with yogurt and granola for a tasty parfait.

• Toast Bread, Scones and Pastries: We tried this jam on a butter croissant with a bit of whipped cream on a side. And it was absolutely divine. Don’t have croissant? Not a problem. Spreading this jam generously on your morning toast or freshly baked bread is a timeless treat.
• Ice Cream Topping: Spoon this flavorful plum jam over vanilla or chocolate ice cream for a indulgent dessert topping.
• Bake into Pastries: Get creative by using it as a filling for pastries or as a sweet surprise inside homemade croissants, giving your baked goods a gourmet twist.
• Pair with Cheese: Elevate your cheese board with a dollop of this jam, particularly with brie or goat cheese, for a sweet and savory combination that’s perfect for appetizers.
• Gift or Share: Package this jam in decorative jars for a thoughtful homemade gift, or share it with friends and family to spread the joy of your homemade creation.

Frequently asked questions

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

While we appreciate culinary creativity, we discourage altering this particular recipe in that manner. Plum skins inherently contain sufficient pectin, and substituting sugar with pectin would lead to a significant change in both the texture and flavor profile of the jam.

Can I substitute other nuts for walnuts in this recipe?

If you cannot find walnuts or if walnuts are too expensive in your area, you can substitute walnuts with pecans. They are similar in flavor and texture and should require the same cooking time.

Are there any plum varietals that are not good fit for this recipe?

We found yellow and green plums to have a strong sour flavor to them. You will likely require much more sugar to make the jam taste good. What’s more, there’s no telling of how well the nuts will work with these types of plums.

I am using black plums and they don’t release any juices even when they macerate overnight. Why?

If you are using black plums that are firm to touch, they won’t release any juices. The way to handle these plums to make our spiced plum jam recipe would be to crush half of the plums in a food processor. Then mix the crushed and sliced plums together and add sugar as per recipe. If all else fails add 1/3 cup water to the mixture. You will likely need to increase the cooking time by about 10 – 15 minutes.

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.