How to Make Perfect Plum Jam

As the seasons lazily slip into autumn, the fruit on the trees and golden evenings can only mean one thing: September is here! And what would September be without a good old pot of homemade jam? .

We love September. Fruit and veg are ripe ready for picking and the kitchen is full of delicious smells. Jam making is one of our favourite nostalgia-inducing activities for autumn. Think pans bubbling on the AGA, jars waiting to be filled and naughty siblings taking a sneaky spoonful when they think nobody is looking.

Plums have been somewhat overshadowed by strawberries and raspberries, but we personally love this sweet, old-fashioned favourite.

Perfect Plum Jam

You’ll need:

(Makes three jars)
3 x 450 ml jam jars
2kg plums
2kg granulated sugar
30g butter
1 tbsp lemon juice

Step 1. Put the pitted and roughly chopped plums into a pan and add 200ml of water. Simmer for about 10 minutes..

Step 2. Add the sugar and lemon juice and allow the sugar to dissolve slowly – don’t let the water boil.

Step 3. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, turn up the heat until boiling. The jam should be ready in roughly 5-10 minutes, or when your sugar thermometer reads 105°C.

Step 4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the knob of butter. Let cool for 15 minutes,then ladle into your jars. Pop the lids on and serve when cold

Don’t have any plums? Not to worry, this recipe works well for all kinds of fruit. The only question is, how will you eat yours?