Try Your Hand At Jams

Funny how so many of the recipes I share end up stemming from, or triggering, a childhood memory. This one is no exception. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandmother. She was a child of the Great Depression which translated into a solid “waste not, want not” philosophy in her life. That meant she made good use of anything and everything.

Local backyard plums make a great freezer jam. Credit: Donna Britt

For example, the small plum tree in her backyard. That little tree might not bear fruit every single year but the years that it did, there would be bucketsful of small, sweet plums perfect for turning into what Granny called “plum jell”. I’d be the one to help her gather the plums, many of which had already fallen on the ground.

Our all-day jam making adventure would start with Granny setting a big 5-gallon bucket under the tree. We would pluck and pick and fill that bucket up. After the plums were rinsed off, she would put them in a huge pot with water and sugar and cook them slowly and deliberately on the back burner of the stove for a long, long time. They would eventually cook down and thicken into a jam which could then be ladled into small, sterilized glass jars and put in the pantry to enjoy throughout the fall and winter.

This summer I’ve been playing around with jam making, inspired by my grandmother’s thriftiness and creativity. I’ve searched out in-season fruits, enjoyed them fresh for a few days and then with the almost-too-ripe leftovers, I’ve tried my hand at jams. Strawberry, blackberry, peach and most recently plum, with plums picked from a front yard tree.

I don’t know Granny’s exact jam recipe but I do know she liked to keep things simple. Along with sugar and a bit of freezer jam fruit pectin, I’ve kept my jams fruit-forward but have had fun adding things such as ginger and cardamom, herbs and other spices, even a splash of bourbon to my peach jam. And since the old-fashioned canning process intimidates me, I have focused on freezer jams which can be kept in the freezer for up to a year or thawed and kept in the fridge for many weeks.

I see so many fruit trees around town laden with fruit right now. If one of those trees happens to be yours, perhaps you’d be interested in preserving some of summer’s bounty to enjoy later on when the weather turns cold and the snow blows.

Strawberries, blackberries, plums, peaches and figs are just a few of the fruits you can use for freezer jams. Credit: Donna Britt

Here are a couple of jammy ideas for you to try. For the plum jam, do not skip the constant stirring for 3 minutes as it’s the crucial step for activating the pectin which helps the jam set up properly. Also, keep in mind, that depending on the fruit’s own pectin and other properties, jams can vary in consistency. Some jams end up thicker while others are a bit looser.

Please note, the fig preserves recipe is from a cookbook I worked on a number of years ago and I’m fully aware that fig trees aren’t growing in Central Oregon. But the jam is easy and delicious so I wanted to include the recipe.

People have asked me if glass jars freeze okay and the answer is yes, they do. Just leave some room at the top of the jar for the jam to expand. You could use plastic containers instead but I prefer the small ½ pint glass jars which I can then wash and reuse.

Leave at least a ½-inch headspace for jarred jams headed for freezer. Credit: Donna Britt

Plum Jam with Ginger & Cardamom

Makes approximately 3 ½ cups freezer jam

Clean, sterilized ½ pint glass jars
3 ½ cups coarsely chopped plums (remove pits, leave skins on), measure after chopping
Up to 1 cup water
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 1/3 cups sugar
¼ cup Ball brand RealFruit Freezer Pectin (this is my favorite pectin)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Bring plums and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. If plums are extra juicy, start with less water, about ½ cup. Reduce heat to low and simmer until plums begin to soften and liquid is reduced by about half. Depending on how juicy the plums are, the time this takes can vary, so keep an eye on the pot and stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from the grated ginger into a small bowl; discard the pulp. Grate and squeeze more ginger if necessary to get a full teaspoon of juice.

Combine sugar and pectin in a large bowl. Add plum mixture, lemon juice, pepper, cardamom and 1 teaspoon of ginger. Stir constantly for 3 minutes to activate pectin.

Cool at least half an hour.

Ladle jam into clean jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Put lids on and chill immediately in fridge. Store in freezer for up to a year or keep in refrigerator for several weeks.

Tipsy Fig Preserves

Makes approximately 3 pints jam

Clean, sterilized ½ pint glass jars
3 tablespoons lemon peel, yellow part only, cut into matchstick-size strips
4 pounds ripe fresh figs, stemmed, cut into ½ inch pieces (about 9 cups)
4 cups sugar
2/4 cup brandy
½ teaspoon coarse salt

Combine lemon peel, figs, sugar, brandy and salt in large, heavy deep saucepan; let stand at room temperature for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil until mixture thickens and is reduced to about 6 cups, 30-35 minutes. Stir frequently and occasionally mash with potato masher. Remove from heat.

Ladle mixture into containers and store in fridge for several weeks.