Plum Cardamom Jam

I had some plums in my freezer so I thought I would try a new recipe from my new canning book I picked up. The book is CANNING for a New Generation by Liana Krisoff. I like this book because it has beautiful pictures, interesting flavor combinations, and recipes for using your canned foods.

Here we are in the early stages cooking the plums in sugar

This recipe does not call for pectin so it takes a lot of stirring and cooking to get it thick

Here is a picture of my jars sterilizing in the water bath canner and my lids sterilizing in a pot of hot water

Here we are filling the jars. The color is beautiful. I cannot say enough about how important a wide-mouth funnel is for making jam.

And now, for the recipe:

Plum Cardamom Jam

4 lbs ripe black plums, pitted and diced

2 cups sugar

3 T strained fresh lemon juice

1 T freshly ground cardamom seeds (or a little more if using pre-ground)

Prepare your water bath canner and sterilize jars and lids

Put the plums and sugar in a wide, 6-8 quart pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently, then continue to cook for 5 minutes. Pour into a colander set over a large bowl and stir the plums gently to drain off the juice. Return the juice to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the syrup is reduced and thick, about 10 minutes.

Return the plums and any accumulated juice to the pan, along with the lime juice and cardamom, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring frequently, until a small dab of the jam spooned onto the cold plate and set in the freezer for a minute becomes some-what firm (it will not gel), about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 1/4" headspace at the top. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the rims of the jars, then put a flat lid and ring on each jar, adjusting the ring so that it's just finger tight. Return the jars to the water bath canner making sure there is an inch of water over the jars. Process in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Jamboree!!

Here's a great party idea. Have a jamboree! I know it sounds like something boy scouts do, but it can also be a group of friends getting together to make jam. A week ago, three of my friends, who knew how to make jam, got together to teach people who have never made jam before how to make it. I planned to take lots of pictures, but when I pulled out my camera, the battery was dead. Too bad because it was a lot of fun and a wide variety of jams. We made three types. We made a traditional fruit jam with pectin (blueberry lime), a savory jam (onion balsamic jam), and a jam without pectin (pear ginger jam). I hope these recipes will inspire you to have your own jamboree. Call me if you would like some help teaching a class.

Below are the recipes:

Blueberry Lime Jam
4 1/2 C blueberries
1 T grated lime peel
1 pkg powdered pectin
1/3 C lime juice
5 C sugar Crush berries one layer at a time.

Combine crushed blueberries and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in grated lime peel and lime juice. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into sterilized hot 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Clean jar rims and put lids and bands on. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes.

Balsamic Onion Jam
Dan Craven

4 lbs onions (sliced thin)
6 shallots (sliced thinly)
3 slices bacon or pancetta
6 sprigs fresh thymediv
2 cups sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups red wine
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 pkgs liquid pectin

Place a large non-reactive pan over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and render the fat. Once the bacon has crisped, remove.
Turn up the heat to high, add the onions, salt, thyme and olive oil. Stir to make sure the onions are coated with the oil and bacon fat.
Cook on high, covered with a tight lid, for about 20 minutes. Remove thyme stems. Continue to cook stirring every 5 to 10 minutes until the onions begin to turn golden brown. Add the sugar, brown sugar, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. Cook over medium heat until viscous.
To test if it's the right consistency, dribble a bit of the reduction on a plate and it is still liquid, but slowly slips down the plate after it cools briefly.
I also look for doneness by dragging a spoon against the bottom of the pot. If it leaves a long valley, then it is done.

WARNING: Do not walk away from this once it begins to get close. There is enough sugar in this that it can burn and create sugar concrete on the bottom of your pan.

Remove from heat and stir in liquid pectin. Return to heat and boil for one minute. Ladle into prepared glass jars and water bath process for 20 minutes.

Pear Ginger Jam

1 3" stick cinnamon.
1 tsp whole cloves.
6 cups pears (cored, peeled, chopped)
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cups candied ginger, chopped.

Place the cinnamon and cloves in a cheesecloth bag. Bring the pears and lemon juice to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the sugar, ginger and cheesecloth bag of cinnamon and cloves. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. Pour into sterilized jars, seal and process for 10 minutes.