Sugar-free plum jam
A versatile sweet that was previously eaten in several ways: directly from a jar (with a spoon, or even more often with a finger), spread on a piece of bread, on pancakes or with shufnudle. Well, as a filling for rolls, sausages, vanilla or for a roll of ordinary patisserie ... Today I still eat it with a spoon from a jar when I don't have any sweets and my conscience doesn't bother me at all because mine is sugar-free, plus wonderfully aromatic. By the way, I used to cook it in various ways - classic, with sugar, more often without. Sometimes with rum, cinnamon and cloves, sometimes clot. I tried it with cooking chocolate - it can pass, but I'm not thrilled. I also baked it in the oven, it's good, but when it's hot it's not practical because baking takes a long time and my kitchen heats up ... For the last couple of years, I've been cooking it the old-fashioned way, on the stove and without sugar. The only "modern" spices are added, although you can do without any .. Just plums and hi
Preparation steps
- I have been making plum jam since I live out of town, because I have three Stanley plum trees in my yard. They haven't been sprayed for more than two decades, so they aren't very big. There are also worms, but they are therefore safe to eat directly from the tree, unwashed. In one year they regenerate (in that case there will be a pile of full jars of jam), in the second year they bear poorly, but even then there are enough to eat and for a few jars of jam. To have it over the winter, at least for pancakes ...
- Washed, dried and pitted plums are handed out in a deep large sherpa (about 5-6 liters in volume) and placed on a hot plate included in the strongest to cook. In the beginning, stir occasionally, while the mass is just "puck". After the first ten minutes, stir more often, until the mass boils completely. Reduce the heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly, to the desired density (from the moment it boils, cook for another hour). Towards the end of cooking, add spices and rum if desired.
- Store washed and dry jars with a metal screw cap. I don't heat them! Pour the jam with a spoon to the top of the jar, screw well and arrange on a baking sheet. Place the filled jars in an oven heated to 100 ° C and leave for about an hour for the jam to be pasteurized. Turn off the oven and do not take out the jars until they have cooled completely, which takes about ten hours ... From this amount I get 5 jars of jam per 580 ml.
- Store them in a dry and dark place. I keep them in cardboard boxes with compartments (maybe from liter bottled drinks, 24 jars from the picture, in 12 compartments two). Jam prepared in this way can stand for years and not spoil. I don't usually wait for the next season because it is eaten, but I once forgot about a couple of jars and after two years, the jam was like fresh.
- Since jam wants to splash during cooking (especially while cooking on high heat), be sure to protect your hands! For me, those are longer sleeves and silicone gloves bought in a Chinese store, which are almost to my elbows. I mix alternately with my right hand, then with my left hand - I didn't learn conducting in vain :))) And yes ... jam is definitely the best with pancakes !!!
