(no subject)

[kirkcudbright]

We stopped at an orchard on the way back from the poultry swap. I had to get a bag of plums, and then I had to figure out what to do with them.

Plum and Apple Jam
(somewhat paraphrased from the original recipe, from Art of Preserving by Jan Berry & Rodney Weidland)

• 2 pounds firm plums
  
• 1 pound firm cooking apples, peeled and chopped
  
• 6 cups (3 pounds) sugar

Cut the plums in half, and remove the pits if possible, or leave them in and remove them later. Add about ¼ cup water to prevent scorching, and simmer until the plums are soft, about 10 minutes. (Now you can remove the pits, if you left them in before.) Add the apples, and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until everything has broken down into a thick fruit glop. Stir in the sugar, and boil until the setting point is reached, about 30 minutes. Ladle into sterilized jars and seal.

My notes:

• Get the small, tart kind of plums, not the big, juicy, sweet kind.
  
  
• I couldn't be troubled to peel the apples. Both the plums and the apple skins contain pectin, and the jam ended up rather thick. This could have been managed with closer attention to the boil, but as it was I had some caramelization and a lot of scorching during that phase.
  
  
• The recipe doesn't say to strain the jam, so I guess the plum skins are intended to remain. I like a smoother jam (except when I'm making marmalade), so I ran it through a food mill.
  
  
• In the introductory chapter, they say "It is important to heat the sugar before adding it to the hot fruit and liquid. This is to avoid lowering the temperature already reached. Warm the sugar in a baking dish, about 1 inch (3 cm) deep, in a cool oven at 250°F (120°C) for 10 minutes." Honestly, I think they're on crack.
  
  
• When it says boil, it means "boil like a son of a bitch". This is what activates the pectin. This is also what bubbles and spatters all over the stove, counter, floor, and your tender skin. Definitely cover the pot, and remove it from the burner to stir it.
  
  
• If you've never done this before, you test it by spooning a small amount of jam candidate onto a cold plate. If it looks somewhat the consistency of jam (versus, say, a fruit sauce), it's done. Start testing early, because this batch set faster than I was expecting.
  
  
• This came out amazingly sweet. Or maybe it's not so amazing, given that it's 50% sugar by weight. I mean, yeah, it's jam, but it should taste like fruit too. We'll see what it's like at room temperature.