A few days ago my neighbor Jill stopped by with a bag full of ripened Italian plums just picked from her trees minutes earlier. Instantly I knew I would have to make plum jam using the vibrant orangish-peach flesh. All the jams I’ve made this year have been made without using pectin and are ridiculously easy to make. Plum jam is no exception. All you need is fruit, or in this case plums, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon. That is it. Pretty easy huh? So make some plum jam with the bounty of the season. Enjoy!
Easy No-Pectin Plum Jam Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped plums, peels removed
1 cup sugar
1 Tbl. lemon juice
Directions:
Cook plums and lemon juice on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add sugar and stir until everything is well combined. Cook for an additional 15-20 minutes until the thickness of the jam has been reduced to the consistency of thick honey or 220 F. degrees stirring occasionally. Skim off the foam, remove from heat, and allow to cool. Enjoy!
Cutting, pitting, and peeling the plums the good old fashion way.. with my fingers and paring knife.
The fruit of my labor.
Just a little squeeze of lemon will do.
Step 1: Cooking the plums by themselves for a few minutes.
Step 2: Adding the sugar to begin the process of reducing and preserving.
Step 3: Watching the fruit break down and reducing the liquid.
Final Step: Nothing. Congrats, you’re there.
The Cilantropist says
I use this exact same method for my jams! I just posted recently almost exactly like yours but with apricots and peaches. 🙂 Great minds think alike! I just got some ripe plums and will make jam in the next few days… can’t wait!
rich says
Why do Americans insist on using “cups” as a measurement for cooking .?
How much is a cup?
alice says
Hi Charlotte,
The jam will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If you want to put it on the shelf, you will have to can them.on c Here’s a great link on canning from The Pioneer Woman. Hope this helps.
Charlotte P says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I have two questions:
1. How long does it last in the refrigerator?
2. How long does it last on the shelf if you can it?
And can I say how beautiful it is to see Madison’s post? I love seeing young people who love to cook. My littles ones (3 and 4) already want to cook!
Thanks,
Charlotte
Amanda says
I live in Italy and have a wonderful Italian plum tree in the garden…I left the skin on mine and my jam is a very dark red colour…I have been making jam for 20 years and don’t even know what pectin is…I will make jam from anything and I eat many years after making it…♥♥♥
sharla says
use your jam recipe today….DELISH! Thanks so much 🙂
Madison says
Im 11 years old and me and my grandpa like jam or jelly or plum infactand im facinated with cooking….My grandpa and I made it and it was scruptios and we will be making more still following my cooking dream -Madison-
=D =D =D =D =D
Anne says
I had lots of plums and made preserves for the first time after finding your post. This was so easy and I LOVE that I only needed 3 ingredients. Thank you! I added a link back to your post. 🙂
rick says
Amazing. This recommendation is awesome. The recipe is very natural and requires no unnecessary preservative like pectin.
tom says
Leave the peels on if you want a really beautiful jam and don’t want to waste your time peeling. The peels have at least half the goodness in them! If you want to use it as a glaze, you could run it through a sieve after cooking the fruit.
Danica says
I LOVE that you didn’t use Pectin! This recipe is 100% clean and healthy all the way. It looks so amazing too. I never thought of making plum jam but now I want to 🙂
Jeannie says
Alice, I just discovered your wonderful site via Megan at Not Martha and have fallen in love! What a wonderful world you have! My plum tree has given me the most lovely plums for the first time ever. I made your plum jam several times over this morning. I did process it for 5 minutes so that I could put it in my pantry. I love the simplicity, flavor and smallness of this recipe! Small batching is where it’s at..just enough to have fun but still allows the flexibility to do other things during the day. Can’t wait to use my jam for your plum sauce! Thank you so much!
Ria says
WOW! That jam looks delcious , Alice! And I love that you omitted pectin here 🙂
jamieofalltrades says
Yum! I would love to make this and eat on toast!
alice says
Thanks everyone for your comments!
Gabby: I asked some canning experts on Twitter and this is what I learned. Yes it will keep in the fridge just like normal jam would. You can can it as well because pectin is a thickening agent and not a preserving one. If you want to keep it on the shelf you must can it. As for as using prune plums.. I googled prune plums and I’m still unclear as to what variety of plums it is.. but I’m pretty sure you can use any type of ripe plums. Hope that helps!
Alice
Kate @ Savour Fare says
I’m completely addicted to plum jam and will be bereft when there are no more plums in the markets to jam. I always make mine with the peels on, one because I’m lazy, and two, because it gives the jam the most gorgeous purplish pinky color. But I like my jam chunky (I think seedless raspberry jam is an abomination) so I have no issue with bits of peel.
Gabby says
I was wondering. Since it doesn’t have pectin. How long does it last? Do you keep it in the fridge. Can it sit in a cabinet. Can you use prune plums instead?
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction says
I am a big fan of jam recipes that don’t require any pectin… so much easier! This looks very tasty!
Kamran Siddiqi says
Alice, what a beautiful Jam! Lately, I have been making tons of jams, which has been fun. I haven’t gotten to the plum jam yet, but I’ll use your recipe instead.
Jamie says
This is my kind of jam (never made it before cause it always seemed so difficult). And we are getting gorgeous, sweet purple plums now. But one question: PEELING those babies? Really? Is there and easier way? Cooking then straining? It looks so good, I’d really love to try it.
deeba says
Fabulous…what an easy & delightful recipe. I love pairing & peeling the old fashioned way. Gorgeous colour here. Sniff Alice, our plums are long gone. Now the wait for next year begins. BTW, your new pic is gorgeous…very very nice! xoxo
alice says
Jamie: Some people leave the skin on. I prefer mine off because I will use the jam in other recipes using it as a glaze. To peel the skin off was not difficult, just use your fingers or a pairing knife. A little work involved but certainly worth it! Happy Jamming to you!
Lauren says
So simple, and easy – looks perfect and delicious to me =D!
Barbara says
What a gorgeous color! You make it look so easy!
lisaiscooking says
I’ve been enjoy these little plums too. Your jam looks fantastic! Wish I could have some for breakfast this morning.