Spiced Plum Jam Recipe - Sweet and So Delicious! - Oh So Savvy Mom (2024)

FAQs

How do you reduce tartness in plum jam? ›

Continue stirring the plums and sugar until the fruit starts to turn translucent. At this time, taste for sweetness. Take a small amount of the (still liquid) jam in a teaspoon, cool and taste it. If it tastes too sour for your liking, add a teaspoon or two more of sugar and continue cooking.

European plums, aka prune plums, are mainly grown to be turned into dried plums. Their thick skins, high sugar content, and dense flesh make them ideal for drying, and best for baking and jam-making.

The natural pectin in fruits and vegetables thickens jams. If there isn't enough pectin in the fruit itself and you don't add extra pectin, the result is runny jelly or jam. Additionally, if the fruit is overripe, its pectin levels are lower.

Preserves are the thickest, chunkiest mixture of all. Instead of pieces of fruit like in jam, you'll find slices or even whole fruits in preserves. A good jar of preserves is nearly opaque and more challenging to spread, but just as rewarding when you bite into it.

Do not vary the sequence in which the ingredients are added. For example, powdered pectin does not dissolve in a sugared solution, so if you add the sugar and then the dry pectin, the jam will not be firm. Be sure you use a kettle large enough to accommodate the preserves when they are brought to a full rolling boil.

Pectin makes jams and jellies firm. You need it so it is not runny, and is not overcooked to make it firmer. How do you make apricot jam without pectin? Making apricot jam without pectin is possible by using a combination of sugar and lemon juice to help the jam thicken.

Plum Jam – Smoked Gouda, Goat, or Cream. Apricot Jam - Grana Padano, Gran Queso, or Parmigiano Reggiano. Blueberry Jam – Stilton, Manchego, or Goat. Chipotle Jelly – Spicy Blue Cheese, Sharp Cheddar, Aged Parmesan, or Feta.

The skins completely broke down during the cooking process into a deliciously sweet jam. The skins also contain a lot of pectin, which helps the jam gel. So here's my advice: leave the skin on the plums.

Add pectin.

Whisk a tablespoon of powdered pectin (preferably the no-sugar-needed variety) into the pot of cooking jam. Test for thickness and add another tablespoon if needed. Learn More About Pectin: What's the Deal with Pectin?

Can you overcook plum jam? ›

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

You can also let the spoonful of jam sit on the cold plate for 30 seconds and then push it with your spoon or finger. If it wrinkles up, you've reached your setting point. TIP: Use a white plate so you can see the jam clearly. A darker plate or patterned plate may give you the impression your jam is set when it is not.

So if you use pieces of fruit or whole berries, you are actually using less fruit than if it were mashed, or cooked to a mash and then measured, and you will get a firmer jell. Or you may have used more pectin than the recipe called for. For example, if you used Tablespoons of pectin rather than teaspoons.

Homemade fruit preserves can last for up to year or even longer if it is unopened and stored in a cool, dry place, such as a pantry or kitchen cupboard. However the flavour and texture of your jam will start to deteriorate after around 6 months, even if you keep them tightly sealed.

Jam and jelly have virtually the same nutritional value, fruity taste, and spreadable texture. Thus, you can use them interchangeably. That said, some studies have analyzed the nutritional profile of jams after 9 months in storage and observed no significant losses in their antioxidant content.

If it's too tart, add more sugar (or honey, or maple syrup). You can add flavorings (spices, vanilla bean, booze, tea, herbs) if you want to zip things up. Or leave it plain, though I often add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors.

How Do You Neutralize Sour Taste in Food? If a dish is too sour, add a little bit of sugar! Sweetness balances out sour flavors, so if something makes your mouth pucker, a dash of sugar may help soften the blow of the sour food.

If your dish tastes too sour try to add sweetness—think sugar, honey (it's healthy!), cream or even caramelized onions. You can also dilute the dish (same as you would with a dish with too much salt). As a last resort, add a pinch of baking soda to make the dish more alkaline.

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal.