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Nectarine Plum Jam

I love summer and one of the best parts of summer where we live is the fresh fruit we have access to in abundance. Freezing and making jams is one way to tuck summer away into the cold winter to come. I was inspired to try this jam when I took note of a similar one done with peaches. Like the one Lovella posted recently, this one also has no pectin, is low in sugar and very easy to make.
Ingredients:
  • 3 lbs soft, ripe nectarines
  • 2 lbs soft, ripe red plums
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup water
Method:
  1. Pit nectarines and plums and coarsely chop into small pieces.  No peeling required. You should end up with about 12 cups of fruit.
  2. Combine fruit, sugar, lemon juice and water in large heavy pot (on near high heat) and bring to a foamy boil, stirring frequently.
  3. Set timer to 20 minutes and cook fruit on medium high heat, stirring every few minutes. It should be bubbling, but not too hard. Meanwhile put a saucer in the freezer to check jam later.
  4. After 20 minutes, or when jam starts to thicken up, set timer for 10 minutes. During the next five minutes gently use potato masher to mash and stir while simmering.
  5. Check if the jam is done by dropping a teaspoon of jam onto the frozen saucer. Put it back in the freezer for a minute. If the jam looks a tad jelly like and you can run your finger through it and make it part, it's done. If it's watery and runs together, continue cooking for 5 minutes and test again. Thirty to thirty-five minutes seems to be average cooking time.
  6. Pour hot jam into sterilized jars and cover with sterilized lids. When cooled, store in fridge or freezer for optimum fresh tasting jam. This recipe makes 8 - 9 (250 ml) jars.
 
chop fruit
 
 put in heavy pot with sugar, lemon juice and water
Cook about 30 minutes. Gently mash near the end.

Enjoy!!!
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11 comments:

  1. Definitely making this one, what a great combination. Thank you!

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  2. It's the best time of the year!!! This looks wonderful Anneliese!

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  3. This looks GOOOD! Yesterday I made one jar (hello? who makes one jar? one person...) of Blackberry Peach jam. It's the best. Oh I have eaten my share of jam, but not Blackberry because it doesn't grow anywhere I've ever lived, and is so very expensive. There was a sale. Now I'm going to try this.

    I used a non-preserving method. Just cook until it becomes jam, pour into sterilized jar, cool and refrigerate.

    I think the MGCC turned me back onto jamming. Thank you!

    Sharon

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  4. This sounds and looks delicious. And I love that it has no pectin. I'm moving towards not using that product anymore. Less sugar is a good thing.

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  5. I am trying to convince myself that I can "CAN" without killing anyone. I'm almost to the point where I want to try it. So, this is not "canning" just because you don't put the filled jars in hot boiling water for 10 minutes afterward. Right?

    And what is wrong with Pectin? I'm so new at this I'm green. How long would your jam last before it molded? I'm still scared of killing someone. lol

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    Replies
    1. lotta joy, just go ahead and do this already.. it's easier than you think.
      I'm not sure where the line gets drawn between canning and preserving etc etc...
      In my mind canning is doing pickles, canning peaches etc. .. the hot water bath thing.
      And as far as pectin is concerned, I don't think there is anything wrong with it. It makes the process faster and definetely gels the fruit. I personally don't use the full strength when I use it becasue I don't like firm jams and don't care to have pectin taste.
      As long as your jars are sealed ( which they will be if you use hot jars and new lids and fill them with hot cooked fruit)they will not mold, especially if you refrigerate or freeze them. It is impossible to get mold if you freeze them, even if they are not sealed and the cooked jam will keep a month or two at least just in your fridge.
      If you do get mold becaseu you left the jar sit in you kitchen cupboard, you will see the mold. Even so, it will not kill you. =)
      PS the way to keep jars hot while cooking jam is to keep them on a cookie sheet at 225 F in the oven and lids in boiling water in a small pot on the stove. A canning funnel is nice to have to be able to ladle the hot jam into jars.(like the photo shows)

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    2. I was so afraid you wouldn't bother answering my questions! I feel better with more information and thank you for the tip on keeping the jars hot while waiting. (I was thinking you kept them in boiling water) THANK YOU!!

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  6. Could you Can this jam and store it on a cool shelf or will that ruin it? Thank you in advance :)

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    Replies
    1. If your jars are sealed you can keep them in a cool place. The jam will eventually not taste as fresh, but it will not be "bad" in a sense that it has gone bad... just a change in flavor that most people would not notice, but I do because I like the fresh cooked taste. Professional advice would be to process the jars of jam in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes, but I have never done this.
      To be sure that your jars seal pour hot jam into hot jars and use hot lids. (keep jars in 225 F oven and lids in boiled hot water while cooking jam)

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  7. Does anyone remember the paraffin? Melted pure paraffin would be poured ontop the jam, then the lid. Since I've never done it, but only removed a lot of paraffin to get at the jam in my day, I don't know if the paraffin was poured over hot jam or cooled. Sometimes, there was no lid, just the paraffin.

    Sharon

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    Replies
    1. Yes, that is how my mom used to seal her jam jars. There was always a layer of wax to peel off when we opened a new jar. She let the jam cool off before pouring on some melted paraffin wax. One has to be sure the wax totally seals off any air by rotating the jar as you hold it and letting the wax come up the sides of the jar a bit.

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