Easy Spiced Plum Jam Recipe

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Make this delicious spiced plum jam recipe and enjoy the sweet and tart flavor of plums all year long. This recipe is easy to make and perfect for water-bath canning, so you can preserve it for shelf stable storage. With added spices, it gives it a wonderful flavor that’s especially fitting for fall and the holiday season.

How to Make This Easy Spiced Plum Jam

Growing up we had a huge plum tree. My mom would make plum sorbet, and we would eat buckets of them fresh. Usually we froze them to preserve them.

Juicy ripe plums are wonderful right off the tree. Sadly, they are only that ripe once a year. Canning your own plums with this delicious and easy recipe is a great way to preserve them at the peak of freshness. 

As an adult I have learned how to can and preserve my own food. Plums are still a childhood favorite of mine, so this spiced plum jam recipe is a popular item in my home.

What You Need to Get Started

• 4 Pounds of Delicious Plums
• 4 Cups of Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons of Pectin
• 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice

Adding Spices

• 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Choosing to adding spices to your jam is an optional step. Making jam with just plums and sugar will still give you delicious plum flavor you can enjoy. Adding the spices is a personal preference and one that my family thoroughly enjoys. 

Making This Recipe Without Pectin

You can make this recipe without pectin, it will require boiling for longer until you get it to boil down a bit. The process works because plums have pectin naturally in their skin. So, as long as you cook them down with the skin, there is enough pectin that the jam should thicken up nicely without pectin.

Should I Remove the Skin

This is an optional step, and as a personal preference, no. The skin not only includes pectin, it also provides a very tart flavor you otherwise wouldn’t get with just the pulp. If you don’t like large chunks in your jam there are a few options.

• You can dice up your plums into small chunks before beginning the boiling process. This will allow the chunks in the jam to be much smaller and more palatable. This is usually my go to as it’s the easiest way to cute up the plums.
• You can dice them in a food processor or with a blender. This is less work for your hands but more cleaning overall in my experience. However, you’ll get absolutely no chunks of skin or plum pulp in the finished jam.
• You can make jelly, which will add an extra step. After boiling the plums, you will have to strain the juice out of the boiled mixture before canning.

Enjoying Plum Jam

Spiced plum jam is a perfect addition to your brunch table. Enjoy it with homemade bread and freshly churned butter. You can also top your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with this spiced plum jam recipe and enjoy a different flavor with your peanut butter.

Water Bath Canning Spiced Plum Jam

There is enough acidity in this recipe to preserve this jam using the water-bath canning method. Be sure to follow canning instructions like you would for any other jam recipe, and also be sure to adjust for altitude. Most canning lids ensure freshness up to 18 months. 

Follow Guidelines and Adjust for Altitude

It’s important to adjust for altitude when canning. Be sure that if you live at a higher elevation that you can for a longer period of time. I like to refer to the Ball Book of Canning whenever I have questions. 

1,001-3,000 feet – increase by 5 minutes
3,001-6,000 feet – increase by 10 minutes
6,001-8,000 feet – increase by 15 minutes
8,001-10,000 feet – increase by 20 minutes

Want More Canning Recipes? Be sure to read Canning Peaches in Syrup and Canned Apple Pie Filling Recipe.

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Spiced Plum Jam

Delicious spiced plum jam, perfect for water-bath canning. This recipe is easy to make and a great way to use up plums in the height of ripeness.

Course basics

Cuisine American

Keyword canning recipes, plum jam, plum recipes

Servings 7 Pints

Ingredients

• 4 lbs Fresh Plums Pitted
• 4 cups Sugar
• 3 tbsp Pectin do not use the low sugar variety
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg

Instructions

Jam Recipe

1. Remove the pits and dice 4 pounds of plums. Be sure to cut them small enough that the skins will not become and issue when spreading jam. It could be easier to use a food processor at this step.

2. Place plums and sugar in a heavy bottomed pot, large enough to only fill to halfway. (Plums will boil and foam, they could potentially boil over.

3. Whisk together the pectin, cinnamon and nutmeg, add to the pot with the plums and sugar. Add the lemon juice in once sugar and pectin have dissolved.

4. Bring your fruit to a hard boil and allow to boil for at least a minute.

5. Turn down the heat and allow the jam to simmer for 20 minutes or so, until the plums soften and the mixture thickens.

6. After the jam has thickened, fill jars and allow to cool on the counter. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator. The jam will be good for two weeks.

Canning Instructions

1. While the plums are simmering, prepare your canning pot with water and pint sized jars.

2. When plum jam has thickened, add your jam to the jars, and process in your water-bath canner for 10 minutes. (be sure to adjust for altitude*)

3. Once the canning time is completed, remove the jars and allow them to cook while the lids seal. Store on your shelf for up to 18 months. Any jars that did not seal properly should be refrigerated and enjoyed within 2 weeks.

Recipe Notes

*Altitude in Feet - Adjust Processing Time By

1,001-3,000 feet – increase by 5 minutes
3,001-6,000 feet – increase by 10 minutes
6,001-8,000 feet – increase by 15 minutes
8,001-10,000 feet – increase by 20 minutes