Mid summer, I battle two plum trees to eat, share, and preserve as much of the summer bounty as I can.
The trees give me a real run for my money.
Freezing sliced plums is the no-brainer approach.
But freezer space is limited and slicing doesn’t reduce the shear volume of the fruit. Likewise, canning whole plums has you working over vats of boiling water on the hottest days of the year.
Traditionally, I make plum butter; plum-APPLE butter; Chinese plum sauce; plum paste.
But after that, what to do?
I went back the Sunset’s Favorite Recipes for this recipe they headlined as Fresh Fruit Jams.
Pureed fresh fruit is lightly sweetened and dehydrated til it comes to jam consistency.
I did mine in the oven, on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
The end product had only a tad of added sugar and was deliciously tart and thick.
Most importantly, this late in the plum season: it reduced two quarts of sliced plums to 2 half-pint jars of jam. Sunset has you refrigerate or freeze the jam. I gave in and processed it in a boiling water bath, since fridge space is at a premium.
I’m eyeing some of it to make a parfait with creme anglais or a cornstarch pudding and plum jam.
Dehydrated Plum Jam
Ingredients
- 2 qt. sliced plums
- 1/2 c. sugar
Instructions
- Blend plums and sugar smooth in blender or food processor.In a large saucepan, bring plums to simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook 2 minutes.Cool and spread equally on two cookie sheets, covered with parchment paper (preferable) or plastic wrap extending well beyond pan rim. Smooth to 3/4 inch thickness.Dry in 130 degree oven til thick. Scrap jam off of sheet into bowl. Sweeten with sugar or honey to taste. Pack for storage as you choose: refrigerator, freezer, or canning jars in hot water bath.