Prep Time : 20 Minutes | Cook Time : 30 Minutes | Total Time : 1 hour | Difficulty : Jammin’
Hello my lovelies! Can’t stay away from jam for long. Especially now I have my new copper jam pan. It is so beautiful. I made it a special spot on display in the kitchen. Sigh. It makes fabulous jam too. We want skillz with our good looks around here. Whether you have or haven’t thrown your money at France in exchange for their expensive fabulousness then you should still make this heavenly plum jam with a floral twist. It’s soft and plummy. It’s aromatic and luxurious. It feels like a fancy treat without a fancy price tag. I would say that while this jam is seasonal in the southern hemisphere right now bookmark this for later in the year if you’re just heading into spring. My general practice is to wash and prep fruit when it’s in season and freeze it in increments of 1 kilogram so it’s ready when I am. Even across the summer things ripen so fast that I struggle to find time to make things in the short window when some fruits are at their best. It also leaves you with a treasure trove of summery goodness in colder months that you can pull out and make into something delicious. I will be getting some apricots out in July to remind myself what summer tastes like. For now lets make some plums into something wonderful. If you are using fruit that has been frozen it will break down far quicker when you cook it.
Thoroughly wash and rinse your jars and put them into a low oven (120C/250F). They need to be heated over 100C for at least 10 minutes to kill any nasties so just do this first up and by the time you’re ready to jar up they will have been well blitzed.
Put the lids into a heatproof bowl and set aside. We will pour boiling water on them later. Put a couple of saucers or small plates in the freezer.
Lay out a folded tea towel next to the stove top and make sure you have all the things you need on hand.
Put the plums, water and lemon juice into a large pan. Find the one with the smoothest inside that you can to help prevent sticking.
Tie the hibiscus flowers into a square of muslin so they can infuse in the mixture without leaving tough bits. Pop the bag into the pot. The hibiscus will make the mix very dark crimson.
Simmer the plums over a medium low heat until they have broken down as much as you like. If you like your jam on the chunky side leave the pieces whole. If you like your jam on the smoother side then cook them a little longer and use your wooden spoon or a potato masher to help the fruit break down.
Turn the heat off, take out the hibiscus bag and add the sugar.
Stir it well to start the sugar dissolving and put the heat back on low. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved then turn the heat up to medium high. Adjust the heat to keep the jam at a rolling boil. If scum appears on top skim it off with a spoon. It’s not going to do anything bad it just doesn’t look very nice floating around in the jars.
Use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. I like to use the wrinkle test to be sure the jam will set and use the thermometer to tell me when it’s getting close. Jam should set at 104.5C but high pectin fruits can set a little lower than that. at about 103C start testing for a set.
Spoon a small amount of jam onto a cold saucer and pop it back in the freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam and see if a wrinkle forms on the surface. If it does then the jam is ready.
When the jam is nearly ready boil the jug. Pour the boiling water over the lids for the jars.
When the jam is ready turn off the heat and make sure the boiling has subsided. Add the rosewater and stir to distribute. Rosewater is quite delicate and if we added it earlier the flavour would have cooked off.
Carefully get the jars out of the oven and place them on the folded towel. Don’t put them straight on the bench as they could crack from the temperature change.
Use a ladle and funnel or a pyrex jug to fill the jars to about 1/4 inch (5-6mm) below the rim.
Wipe any jam off the rims of the jars and the threads on the side with a paper towel dipped in boiling water. The rim needs to be completely clean to make sure the jars will seal properly.
Drain the lids and cap the jars immediately. Hold the jars with a towel so you don’t burn your hands.
Set aside to cool. When you can handle the jars easily wipe away any drips of jam on the sides and label with the contents and date. You did good work today. Put your feet up and have some toast…
Like this recipe? Pin for later or Print for right now:
Plum, Hibiscus + Rose Jam
Prep Time : 20 mins | Cook Time : 30 mins | Total Time : 1 hour | Difficulty : Jammin’ | Makes : 4-5 cups
Bright plum jam with a hint of rose and hibiscus – a summery floral treat for your toast.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg pitted and roughly chopped ripe plums
- Juice of one lemon
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers (I used Tio Pablo brand)
- 750 grams sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons rosewater
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Large heavy bottomed saucepan or jam pan
- Candy thermometer
- Pyrex cup, wooden spoon, teatowels
- 5 or 6 one cup jam jars with lids
- An apron and shoes
Directions:
Thoroughly wash and rinse your jars and put them into a low oven (120C/250F). They need to be heated over 100C for at least 10 minutes to kill any nasties so just do this first up and by the time you’re ready to jar up they will have been well blitzed.
Put the lids into a heatproof bowl and set aside. We will pour boiling water on them later. Put a couple of saucers or small plates in the freezer.
Lay out a folded tea towel next to the stove top and make sure you have all the things you need on hand.
Put the plums, water and lemon juice into a large pan. Find the one with the smoothest inside that you can to help prevent sticking.
Tie the hibiscus flowers into a square of muslin so they can infuse in the mixture without leaving tough bits. Pop the bag into the pot. The hibiscus will make the mix very dark crimson.
Simmer the plums over a medium low heat until they have broken down as much as you like. If you like your jam on the chunky side leave the pieces whole. If you like your jam on the smoother side then cook them a little longer and use your wooden spoon or a potato masher to help the fruit break down.
Turn the heat off, take out the hibiscus bag and add the sugar.
Stir it well to start the sugar dissolving and put the heat back on low. Keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved then turn the heat up to medium high. Adjust the heat to keep the jam at a rolling boil. If scum appears on top skim it off with a spoon. It’s not going to do anything bad it just doesn’t look very nice floating around in the jars.
Use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. I like to use the wrinkle test to be sure the jam will set and use the thermometer to tell me when it’s getting close. Jam should set at 104.5C but high pectin fruits can set a little lower than that. at about 103C start testing for a set.
Spoon a small amount of jam onto a cold saucer and pop it back in the freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam and see if a wrinkle forms on the surface. If it does then the jam is ready.
When the jam is nearly ready boil the jug. Pour the boiling water over the lids for the jars.
When the jam is ready turn off the heat and make sure the boiling has subsided. Add the rosewater and stir to distribute. Rosewater is quite delicate and if we added it earlier the flavour would have cooked off.
Carefully get the jars out of the oven and place them on the folded towel. Don’t put them straight on the bench as they could crack from the temperature change.
Use a ladle and funnel or a pyrex jug to fill the jars to about 1/4 inch (5-6mm) below the rim.
Wipe any jam off the rims of the jars and the threads on the side with a paper towel dipped in boiling water. The rim needs to be completely clean to make sure the jars will seal properly.
Drain the lids and cap the jars immediately. Hold the jars with a towel so you don’t burn your hands.
Set aside to cool. When you can handle the jars easily wipe away any drips of jam on the sides and label with the contents and date. You did good work today. Put your feet up and have some toast…
Cook’s Notes:
- Jam does spatter so make sure your arms are covered and you wear something on your feet – you never know where a drip will fall!
- Take care preparing your jars to ensure your hard work isn’t wasted – rinse them thoroughly and be careful not to touch the insides or rims with your bare hands.
– Properly sealed in sterilised jars this jam will keep for 9 to 12 months on the pantry shelf. Refrigerate after opening –
© 2017 The Winsome Baker. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Wow! That is one beautiful jam! So, you sterilize your jars in the oven? I’ve never thought of that!
Sorry Mimi – I saw your comment pop up while I was distracted and forgot to reply! It’s common home practice in NZ and I think the UK as well – gets them well above the temp needed and it’s less things on the stove top!
No problem – but thanks, good to know!
Hi Kearin, I’m looking to make just a plum jam. Would be it ok to leave out the hibiscus and rose and use the same quantities of everything else?
Hey Jen – absolutely you can 😀