Does anyone out there make jam?

[Ridgerunner]

Anyone make plum jam or jelly? I did once, with red plums, and it was okay. I've got some big plums coming this week, and am looking for ideas.
Spiced plum? Strawberry-plum? Plum-blueberry?
Mary

I've made both, jam and jelly. When I was in Arkansas I had all kinds of fruits and berries so I'd make a dozen different jams and jellies as Christmas presents. I don't know if you can read these but both plum jam and plum jelly are in here on the top row.

When I had excess juice or pulp I'd combine different things. The one on the top right is a combined mulberry-dandelion jelly. I came up with all kinds of weird combinations.

The one on the bottom right is not labeled and that's the main reason for this post. You asked for ideas. That is chutney, probably made from peaches that year looking at the color. Some years I'd make plain plum chutney but most years I'd make a combination of plum and peach. If you have never made chutney you do not use pectin. You cook it down to the consistency you want. Be careful to not overcook it, it can set up with a consistency of concrete.

 

[slordaz]

When I make it I follow the recipe as far as the fruit and the pectin, but instead of water and processed sugar I use unsweetened or home made apple juice, as your body can deal better with natural than processed sugars. The one I really liked did half sweet Cherry and half Raspberry for the fruit. Usually if fruit separates it was not quite ripe or the jars you put it in had cooled, you should always use jars from a hot water bath

 

[Ebony Rose]

 

[moniquem]

Funny you ask....Last weekend I made white plum, plum orange, strawberry plum and apple pie jam. I'm all jammed out! I follow the recipes on the fresh preserving website.

https://www.freshpreserving.com/

They are tried and tested and always come out perfect.

 

[Quackter]

Hi all,

I found wild cherry trees and harvested some. I wanted to try to make jam. I have never attempted it before, but followed a recipe. I halfed the recipe only because i spent 2 hours pitting wild cherries and only got 1/2 what i needed.I never used pectin before and the recipe called for 2 packages I used 1.

I was worried it would be runny, but the opposite occurred. It is very thick at the top, the fruit seems to have mainly floated up. The bottom however seems to be the correct consistency.

It is however the most delicious jam ive ever had aside from the consistency issue.

Any advice for my next batch so this doesn't occur? I would like to send it out as gifts. View attachment 1908405

Yes, I'm a dude, yes I can. The only reason I am allowed to keep my man card is because I don't bake sweets too. It looks like you did a really good job, you got it to set, that is 2/3s the battle. Actually easier with the less sweet wild fruits. To me it only looks like the ratio of juice to pulp is high. You can try the flipping upside down to finish as mentioned earlier, it works, I just have never had the patience or skill to do it. Or, you can fill your jars with a slotted spoon, or I have a straining ladle that kinda has a colander built into on side. Then you can control the juice to pulp, you have to put some juice. But you'l just have X number of jams, and X jellies from the same batch. I mean if it won't run and you don't wear yourself out chewing, you did OK.

 

[oldhen2345]

OK Ya'll, I will share my poor sad jelly story - My husband and I were driving down to the Loredo, TX area to visit my grandmother. All along the highway, we saw red cactus fruit - I thought Hmm, cactus jelly. So, he pulled over and I collected a bunch- stickers all in my hands, let me tell you. We put them in a Walmart sack and threw them in the back seat. I picked stickers out of my fingers all the rest of the way the air was on HI and the stickers blew all over my clothes. After our visit, we decided to visit Mexico. We didn't stay long and on the way back in, our car(which was a rental) was pulled over and searched. They looked everywhere and questioned us for almost 30 minutes. Then we got to go- they never did see the contraband cactus fruit in the back seat. When I got home, I looked at the fruit and it was so hard, I decided to shave the outer layer off and cook down the inside. I made the jelly, but LORT, it smelled like dirty dog feet and teenage boy socks. My husband would not even taste it. I called my cousin to ask what I had done wrong and she started laughing. She says the Mexicans call it Tunas and use it as a laxative. Guess I am glad I didn't give it as gifts to friends and family.

 

[oldhen2345]

Yes, I'm a dude, yes I can. The only reason I am allowed to keep my man card is because I don't bake sweets too.

Ain't one thing wrong with a man that can cook - food, jams sweets. Some of my favorite memories with my husband is cooking with him in the kitchen - and yes, he made the jams most years.

 

[oldhen2345]

I have a dedicated straw in my utensil drawer just for pitting cherries. It is a real hard straw that came with a Walmart plastic glass. Works like a charm. Sometimes, the pit gets stuck and I use a skewer to get it out. Thinking outside the box, using what ya have

 

[Quackter]

Ain't one thing wrong with a man that can cook - food, jams sweets. Some of my favorite memories with my husband is cooking with him in the kitchen - and yes, he made the jams most years.

Thank you, I'm not ashamed of it, . Honestly I do most of the cooking around here, the boss helps sometimes, and is a definite help when canning. Most of the time I end up in my best fake French..."Geet out of my .... Keet shee ahn". You're right, it sure is fun working on something like that together, bet you got some great stories.

 

[Quackter]

Interesting question. Good for you for trying it. I've never made jam with wild cherries but have tried several other things. When I made persimmon jam (did not like it) I used a wire sieve to separate the pulp from the pits, rubbed it with my fingers. Some persimmon skin got through but it was in pretty small pieces. That may help you get enough pulp without spending so much time pitting the cherries and avoid the big chunks of skin.

When I make sweet pepper jam I don't peel the peppers but I run them through the blender so the skin is in tiny flakes. I can't remember if they float to the top or settle to the bottom, but if you turn the jar upside down those flecks can get caught in the middle as it sets.

Do you have a recipe for that sweet peeper jam? I used to make the mustard relish all the time. Now I know I have Celiac's, I've tried different substitutes for flour and it comes out like goo or settles after a while.
**I don't know if it would work with water for the jam or not. Somewhere along the line I started saving all the guts of the peppers as I was cleaning them, then put them in enough vinegar to cover and simmer for about 45 mins. Strain and press the juice out. Then used the "extract" in place of some of the recipe vinegar to change the heat, could make it from wuss to nose hair melter with the same peppers.