Davidson’s Plum Jam Recipe
See my post on Davidson’s Plums
500 gm fresh Davidson’s Plums (**see below for frozen)
500 gm sugar
juice of half a lemon
½ a vanilla pod – split open
Packet of pectin (eg: Jamsetta) just in case
(Makes 2 x 250gm pots – I usually double this recipe)
- Wash the plums to remove any dust or dirt. Cut the plums in half and make sure that you remove the two small seeds. Wear gloves if you don’t want to end up with nasty purple fingernails.
- Put the plums, lemon juice and sugar into a saucepan and add just enough water to stop the bottom layer from burning (approximately 20mls) – no more or it will take too long to reduce.
- Bring the fruit to a simmer very slowly, stirring all the time to ensure that the sugar is dissolved before the liquid starts boiling.
- Add the vanilla pod.
- Put a small saucer in the freezer to chill
- Leave on a gentle simmer for 1-2 hours until the mixture has thickened and reduced. Test the jam by dropping a teaspoonful on the frozen saucer – it should almost immediately thicken.
- Sometimes (often), if the plums are not very ripe or particularly watery, the jam will not set, and rather than use more sugar I will add the pectin. Follow the instructions on the packet, and don’t add too much until you have tested again on a saucer.
- When you are happy with the set, remove the vanilla pods.
- Allow to cool slightly. If you want a smooth jam, you can blitz with a stick blender. Then spoon into sterilized jars. ** Frozen plums – I often freeze my plums in 1Kg containers. If you do this, the seeds can easily be squeezed out of the half defrosted plums. Also, I only recently learnt that if you freeze fruit, it reduces the gelling effect of the natural pectin. So you will definitely need Jamsetta or similar.
Occasionally my jam just refuses to set, or I run out of pectin.
Don’t worry, it makes a great sauce on chocolate ice-cream!
A Bellingen Diary 
Hi Fenella
So this I what you’ve been doing during Iso Time. Good to see you still being creative. Many of us are just leading rather more aimless lives. A (very) little yoga at home, walks on the beach, knitting and doing jigsaws. Now at the stage of swapping jigsaws with friends!
Your recipe sounds delicious and not too difficult to make. I remember Mum always put a saucer in the fridge too so that she could test when her marmalade was set.
Hopefully we’ll be able to return to yoga before too long now that some restrictions are easing. Might even be able to enjoy drinks together too!
Good to hear from you.
Di xx
Yes, things are gradually opening up and we may be able to have drinks at the OBF soon – yay!
Have never made it but have enjoyed the jams created by multiple friends………hoping you will join them, Fenella!
Yes, I love DP Jam – the tartness is a great offset to the sugar.
Would you remove the vanilla pod before blitzing for a smooth jam or leave it in there and blitz it also? Thank you
Yes, definitely take it out as the skin is a bit tough. Hope all goes well.
Good morning, I am going to do my DP jam today, but I don’t have a vanilla pod. Can I use a cinnamon stick instead or what is your suggestion?
Thanks
Hello – the vanilla pod is not essential and I think that the cinnamon stick might be a little strong, and leave pieces of bark in your jam.
You could just leave it out if you don’t have a stick or some vanilla paste. Good luck.