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Plum Jam and Canning Jam 101
Feb 23, 2009
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28 Comments
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Plum Jam and Canning Jam 101 from ChefInYou.com
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I have been making Jams for a while now. Recently gal pal of mine dropped in during tea time and we thought we will enjoy some home made Rye bread with some jam along with tea. The minute she had the jam, she fell in love with it and insisted on asking me from which I store I bought the Jam and the make. I had to do some real convincing since she wouldn’t believe that it was a home made Plum Jam. Her doubt was how I managed to get the store like consistency – you know jelly like. It was pectin mantra and not bad as it is made out to be. In fact Pectin is actually a good substances.
It is actually a soluble fiber and is known to be created naturally in certain fruits like apples,apricots,cherries, berries etc. In fact when making Berry Jams, adding pectin is not necessary since they have abundant pectin of their own – which is why I havent used any kind of pectin for any of my previously posted Jams. But the last time I made Plum Jam, I had a packet of pectin lying in my pantry, I wanted to use it up, hence added it while making the Jam this time.
My friend also informed me that making Jams at home were cumbersome since hers lasted only a week or so after which fungus started appearing even after refrigerating them. I asked her if she sterilized the jars which she uses for Jams and she said “yes, I wash them well with soap, dry and use.That should do ir right?” Well, that mostly is not enough for preserving the Jams. My jams lasts me for a month easily. I dunno after that since usually my jams get over by that time. I have shown here what I do for canning my jams.
Method
Mix the plums, pectin and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed pan and cook in medium heat.
The plums will start liquifying slowly.
While slightly mushy, add 1/2 cup water, stir well and cook until it comes to a boil.
Remove the foam that forms on the top. Another tip to make the foam go away easily would be to add a little butter.
Add the honey or sugar, mix and cook for another 10-15 minutes until it all starts coming together as one thick syrup consistancy.
Alternatively with soapy water, clean the Jam can well, along with the lid. Lightly dry it and then drop them in a big pot of water. Bring them to a boil. Make sure your jars are submerged well. This picture was taken towards the end when I was removing my jars
Lift them carefully (don’t burn your hands) and lightly dry them with paper towels. They should feel hot since it will make sure that the bottle does not break when your pour the jam inside. Slowly pour the jam into the Jar upto about 1/2-1/8 inch on top. Leftovers in the pan are a dream! why? Your fingers will tell you 
Close the lid tightly and invert the bottle to help the Jam set well for about 5 minutes.
Now slowly place it, straightup, inside the hot boiling water and leave it for another 5-8 minutes. This is done/neccessary cos if skipped the Jam will spoil. If you live in higher altitudes, then leave them for about 10min. Too much boiling can make the Jam runny too.
Remove them, let it cool. Refrigerate them. Enjoy them with your toasts or any other recipe you like 
All this may sound like a long process, but believe me, once done the satisfaction that it gives every time you scoop a spoonful is unparalelled!
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Awesome… My mouth waters
I was certainly surprised by the outcome! It only yielded 3 pint-sized jars. I am going to try again tonight, but using sugar this time, so I will let you know what I get.
LOL
Well haven’t been making Jams THAT many times to even roughly estimate how much so and so amount of fruit will yield – next time I make some, I will surely be careful about noting down how much I actually get! Thank you for this 
Only one pint jar? From 5 cups of fruit and one envelope of pectin? That much fruit and pectin usually gets me at least 4, sometimes 5, pints of jam….. I’m going to make some tonight, so I will let you know how much I get when I’m done.
Oh that would be great – as I said, its been so long back, I dont even remember. So when you update it would be good to have a written record which I will mention in the blog too
Thanks for this
How much or how many cans with this receipe make??
its been a while now – mm..lemme think- I think I got almost 1 pint jar worth of jam
I make jam every year, usually putting up a couple dozen pint-sized jars of stawberry, blackberry, boysenberry, marionberry, and whatever fruit is left over to mix all together for a ‘mixed berry’ jam. I like the idea of using honey instead of sugar, which I will try this afternoon when I make another batch of huckleberry jam. My jams have all lasted well over 10 months in the cupboard with no problems as far as bacteria or compromised taste are concerned. However, I DO NOT boiling the full jars of jam. I keep the empty jars in hot water in the sink until ready to use. I take them out, shake off the excess water, and fill them with hot jam. I wipe the rims (to ensure a good seal), put the lids on and screw the bands hand tight. Then I invert them on the kitchen counter for about 5 minutes. When I turn them back over, I give them each one little hard shake down to settle the jam into the jar, and I’m done. Usually, if the lids haven’t “popped” down when I turn them back over, they will pop within a few minutes of being put right-side-up. Heck of a lot easier than boiling them, and as I said, in over 10 years of making jam, never a problem.
That’s real surprising indeed! My Jams have never lasted without this following this whole hoopla of canning! What you say is indeed a LOT easier! I will try once again – may be its the weather or something that plays a huge role
Re. canning in boiling water. It doesn’t look like the jars are submerged (as I usually do w/ a boiling water bath). Am I correct?
It has to be submerged – that picture is incomplete in the sense that I removed 1 jar out of it with water in it – hence it looks like it is half submerged. But the water has to come at least 1 inch above the cans.
Thank you, Dhivya, I’ll try it.
All the best, Hadassa
Here in Israel I have only found powdered pectin in a plastic container and there is no indication how much should be used in proportion to the fruit. I would appreciate if you could give me an indication because all my jams have come out too runny until now. Thank you.
Hi Hadassa – I think i used a 1.75 ounce packet which would amount to a little more than 3 tbsp. See if this info helps…
I have looked EVERYWHERE for ideas on how to can anything without adding more white sugar than fruit. This is the only place I’ve found. Thanks so much. If you have more, keep me informed.
This looks great! About how much jam does this recipe make? Also, what size jars would you recommend using? I bought some pint jars, but I might go back for some half pints or maybe even smaller. Thanks!
I think I got about one pint worth of jam. I usually go for half pint jam jars which I find v convenient to use and store. But at the end it all comes down to how often/and how much you consume. For two of us, one 3/4th pint jam jar comes for almost a month – so I go for these …:) – DK
Wow, mine ended-up with a fruity, sweet and sour zing. Nothing like store bought. I used about 7 cups of plums and tried to let it cook down a little more. It reminds me of an Apricot filling for doughnuts (if there is such a thing?)
That’s a very descriptive and informative post DK. Love the color of the jam and the last picture is too good.
Dhivi..thats one lovely post..will save this for the time when I will want to make these jams for my babies…thanks da
I used to make jams regularly but in small quantities and using sugar, loved you idea of using honey. Thanks for the canning tips too !
Thank you girls. I am glad to note you like it
@sala : I use glass jars which I got from Dollar store for a dollar(duh!) as seen in the photo.oh yes you can reuse the old jars. I bought mine god knows when and I have been using it again and again and again…make sure to do the specified canning process and u r good to go one any jars..I haven’t tried with plastic though…so am not sure how it works..Have always used glass jars.Yeah..we dont add preservatives as such right, so its better if you refrigerate them. I just read somewhere that preparing Jams this way can increase the shelf to to 12 months!!!!!! although its safe to consume it within 6 months 
— DK
I cant thank you enough for this post! I make home made jams and marmalade all the time but have been rather intimidated by the prospect of canning. You make it sound easy! Just have a few questions:
– What type of jars do you use?
– Can you re-use old jars or do they have to be new canning specific jars.
– Do you have to refridgerate unopened jars of jam?
I love homemade jam, this looks and sounds fabulous. I can’t wait for all my favorite fruits to be in season, so I can can away!
That was a great useful post Dhiv. I will have to bookmark this recipe and wait until the fruits are in peak season.
The plum jam looks lip-smacking delicious.Nice tutorial on jam making with great pictures!
wow thanks for the step by step canning process..Jam looks delish..Cant wait to try..
looks so yummy and lovely pictures!
waiting for spring to buy some plums, hmmm, that is a beautiful color!!
looks so yummy and lovely pictures!
waiting for spring to buy some plums, hmmm, that is a beautiful color!!
Thanks for sharing the canning info, really very helpful to novices like me..
I too make jams at home but in small quantities that it gets over in a week. Thanks for the canning info. Also liked the idea of using honey.
I’ve thought about making jam before, but not seriously. This post has inspired me to make some this year.
Thank you! That is a great tutorial on canning and jamming!
hanks for the detailed info on canning. My mom used to make jams every year, but I’ve never done it myself. Plum jam looks delish!!
Wow, perfect jam making process. Kudos Dhivya! You’re true, the satisfaction we get by making our own jam, is unparalelled.:)