Easy homemade plum jelly is a great introduction to making homemade jelly. This simple recipe has only a few ingredients and is big on flavor.
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Until a year ago, my family was 100% team Mama’s Homemade Strawberry Jam. I bought a flat of Louisiana strawberries every spring from the farmer’s market, canned several batches of homemade jam and prayed that it would last us through until next spring.
That is, until one day last September. I was making a recipe that called for plum jelly. It was one of those situations where I only needed a couple of tablespoons, but I had to buy an entire jar. I didn’t want to let a perfectly good jar of jelly go to waste, so the next time I reached the bottom of a jar of homemade jam, I substituted the store bought plum jelly instead. Big mistake.
The moment that store bought jelly hit Big Brother’s lips, he decided it was the end all be all and never would he let another flavor of jelly touch his peanut butter sandwich. My child, who was raised on homemade, chose store bought. Traitor.
For the last 12 months, I’ve been shelling out $3 a pop for a jar of store bought plum jelly and it’s been killing me. Finally, a few weeks ago I spied a display of plums as I walked into the produce section of my store. Finally, victory would be mine again!
Why Do You Add Butter to Homemade Jam?
We’re also going to one tablespoon of butter to the pot. As your juice boils, it will start to foam. The foam is just air bubbles and it won’t hurt you to eat it. But it can cause your jelly to look cloudy. If you are planning on canning your jelly, it can also affect the shelf life. The butter breaks the surface tension and prevents the foam from forming in the first place.
However, if you forget the butter, don’t sweat it. You’ll just need to skim the foam off the top before pouring the jelly into jars.
How to Make Plum Jelly
Once you’ve added the pectin and butter, bring the juice to a full rolling boil over high heat. That just means that the boil doesn’t stop when you stir it. Keep boiling and add the sugar. Boil for one minute. Boiling it for longer will cause the jelly to become more firm and harder to spread. Skim off any foam that has formed with a metal spoon. Discard the foam.
The jelly will be syrupy at first. It will thicken as it cools. But if you’re just dying to know if the jelly set or not, there is a way to test it. Stick a meta spoon in the freezer for several minutes. Once it’s good a cold, lay it on the counter and dribble a few drops of the jelly on it. The jelly on the spoon should set within a matter of minutes.
HOW TO MAKE PLUM JELLY STEP BY STEP
FAQ
How long does homemade jelly need to set?
Do you have to pit plums when making jelly?
How do you can plum jelly?
Because of its high acid content, plum jelly can be processed using the water bath canning method. Check out my beginner’s guide to waterbath canning. Simply fill clean jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace. Fill the pot until the jars are covered with at least one-inch of water.
How often can one eat a plum?
An 80g portion of fresh plums is considered one of the five recommended daily portions of fruit. This is equivalent to approximately two small plums or one medium plum. H
How long do plum jelly jars last?
Store in a cool dark area. Refrigerate open jars for up to 3 weeks (that is if it lasts that long). Serve on toast, biscuits, scones or enjoy or on a peanut butter sandwich. Fresh plums, sugar, pectin, water and butter make up this delicious old fashioned plum jelly. To sanitize the jelly jars boil the jars for 10 – 15 minutes.
How to make plum jelly with Jell fruit pectin?
How to make plum jelly with sure jell fruit pectin is here. Homemade plum jelly is the best way to use a lot of plums for breakfast. Remove pits and slice fruit into pieces. Put them all into a pot on the stovetop over medium high heat with the water. Once it starts turn heat down to medium to boil and put the lid on.