plum & vanilla jam

Ever since I made this luscious Cherry & Vanilla Jam, I realised vanilla is the most wonderful thing you can add to jam.

When I was presented with a basket of sticky, overripe Santa Rosa plums I decided the best thing to do with them was turn them into jam.

Blood plums would have made a much more dramatically coloured jam, however the tart red skin of the Santa Rosa added a pinkish hue to the flavoursome yellow flesh. And in the end I’d prefer it to taste delicious than look dramatic.

Spread thickly on toasted sour dough.

Plum & Vanilla Jam

Anna’s very own recipe. Makes around 5 x 300ml jars.

Ingredients:

1kg plums

1 vanilla pod

60ml (¼ cup) water

1kg sugar

50g (1 packet) jamsetta

Method:

1. Preheat oven to a moderately slow 150’C (300’F). Put a saucer in the freezer.

2. Wash plums. Cut into chunks and discard stones. Combine with water in a large saucepan.

3. Slice vanilla pod in half and scrape out seeds. Add seeds and pod to plums. Cook until fruit softens.

4. Meanwhile, warm sugar on a tray in the oven for around 5 minutes, being sure not to burn or dissolve it.

5. Add warm sugar and jamsetta to fruit purée, then heat and stir until sugar fully dissolves.

6. Bring to the boil for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring every now and then to prevent burning.

7. To test the set of the jam, remove the saucer from the freezer and teaspoon on a little jam. Wait 30 seconds then run your finger through. If it crinkles and leaves a path, then the jam is ready. Otherwise continue cooking.

8. Remove from heat and pour hot jam into sterilised jars. Seal immediately.