In my humble opinion, red plums make the best preserves, and certainly one of the easiest. Their skins give the jam a pleasant tartness and contain so much pectin that even inexperienced jam makers will be blushing like rosy plums with the pride of success. Tossing the fruit with sugar and letting it stand for a few hours intensifies the color of the strawberries so that the jam cooks up with a vivid crimson color.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 4 cups (1.25 kg)
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a large pot or a Dutch oven, toss the strawberries and plums with the sugar. Let stand for at least 1 hour, tossing occasionally to encourage the fruits to release their juices.
Step 2
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally to make sure the mixture is not burning on the bottom, until the jam reaches the jelling point (use the wrinkle test, page 256, to judge when it’s done).
Step 3
Ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly, let cool, and refrigerate.
Storage
Step 4
The jam will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.
