Spicy Plum-Pear Jam

 

Plums...tasty summer time treat or a nuisance collecting wasps?

Growing up we had a plum tree by the barn.

And each summer I would try to avoid that path

because the wasps would be swarming the area. 

Plums would be scattered around the ground,

and the bees would be having a summertime sugar party.

 

But I have heard that plums have other purposes...other than wasp collecting.

So to help change my mind about plums and their uses, I decided to give them another try.

And what always seems to work out well for fruit in my world?

Jam.

Beautiful sweet, loving jam.

And plums definitely added a new delicious texture to my jamming.

 

Spicy Plum-Pear Jam

Recipe modified from Taste of Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped or coarsely ground pitted plums

1 cup chopped or coarsely ground peeled pears

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pouch of liquid pectin

5-1/2 cups sugar

 

Directions:

1. Prepare plums and pears:  Place plums and pears in a large stock pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a hard boil, let it boil for 5 minutes.

2. After fruit is prepared, stir in sugar and bring the mixture to a hard boil again.

3. Add liquid pectin, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

4. Boil mixture for 1 minute, continuing to stir constantly.

5. Remove from the heat and skim off the foam.

6. Add the cinnamon and stir.
 

7. Pour into sterilized jars and prepare according to National Center for Home Food Preservation.

8. Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Yield: 6 cups.

Now, I know that I said that I don't like plums, 

but this jam definitely changes my mind about them.  

Even for someone like me, this jam is delicious.

So go ahead and ask your neighbor if you can pluck a few plums from their tree

and give this recipe a try...you'll find it just as tasty as I did.