Classic Plum Preserves
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 12, 2020
Time
40 minutes, plus 2 hours cooling and 12 hours setting
Yield
Serves 64 (makes four 1-cup jars)
Ingredients
2½ pounds ripe but firm plums, pitted and cut into ⅔-inch pieces (8 cups)2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
Before You Begin
For safety reasons, be sure to use bottled lime juice, not fresh-squeezed juice, in this recipe. These preserves can be processed for long-term storage; see the instructions in this article.
Instructions
- Place 2 small plates in freezer to chill. Set canning rack in large pot, place four 1-cup jars in rack, and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then turn off heat and cover to keep hot.
- In Dutch oven, bring plums, sugar, and lime juice to boil, stirring often, over medium-high heat. Once sugar has completely dissolved, remove pot from heat and crush fruit coarse with potato masher, leaving some larger pieces intact.
- Return mixture to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring and adjusting heat as needed, until mixture registers 217 to 220 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. (Temperature will be lower at higher elevations; see Temp the Jam for more information.) Remove pot from heat.
- To test consistency, place 1 teaspoon preserves on chilled plate and freeze for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through preserves on plate; preserves have correct consistency when your finger leaves distinct trail. If runny, return pot to heat and simmer for 1 to 3 minutes longer before retesting. Skim any foam from surface of preserves using spoon.
- Place dish towel flat on counter. Using jar lifter, remove jars from pot, draining water back into pot. Place jars upside down on towel and let dry for 1 minute. Using funnel and ladle, portion hot preserves into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Slide wooden skewer along inside edge of jar and drag upward to remove air bubbles.
- For short-term storage: Let preserves cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until preserves are set, 12 to 24 hours. (Preserves can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)For long-term storage: While jars are hot, wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight; do not overtighten. Return pot of water with canning rack to boil. Lower jars into water, cover, bring water back to boil, then start timer. Cooking time will depend on your altitude: Boil 10 minutes for up to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes for 1,001 to 3,000 feet, 20 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes for 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes. Remove jars from pot and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seal, and clean rims. (Sealed jars can be stored for up to 1 year.)
Time
40 minutes, plus 2 hours cooling and 12 hours settingYield
Serves 64 (makes four 1-cup jars)Ingredients
2½ pounds ripe but firm plums, pitted and cut into ⅔-inch pieces (8 cups)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2½ pounds ripe but firm plums, pitted and cut into ⅔-inch pieces (8 cups)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
2½ pounds ripe but firm plums, pitted and cut into ⅔-inch pieces (8 cups)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons bottled lime juice
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To yield fresh plum flavor, we cooked all the ingredients together for just a short time. Leaving the skins on the plums contributed a lot of natural pectin as well as a lot of plum flavor. Using 2 cups of sugar muted the plums' tartness and highlighted their natural sweetness. We opted for lime juice, which provided vibrant flavor.
Before You Begin
For safety reasons, be sure to use bottled lime juice, not fresh-squeezed juice, in this recipe. These preserves can be processed for long-term storage; see the instructions in this article.
Instructions
- Place 2 small plates in freezer to chill. Set canning rack in large pot, place four 1-cup jars in rack, and add water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to simmer over medium heat, then turn off heat and cover to keep hot.
- In Dutch oven, bring plums, sugar, and lime juice to boil, stirring often, over medium-high heat. Once sugar has completely dissolved, remove pot from heat and crush fruit coarse with potato masher, leaving some larger pieces intact.
- Return mixture to boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring and adjusting heat as needed, until mixture registers 217 to 220 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes. (Temperature will be lower at higher elevations; see Temp the Jam for more information.) Remove pot from heat.
- To test consistency, place 1 teaspoon preserves on chilled plate and freeze for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through preserves on plate; preserves have correct consistency when your finger leaves distinct trail. If runny, return pot to heat and simmer for 1 to 3 minutes longer before retesting. Skim any foam from surface of preserves using spoon.
- Place dish towel flat on counter. Using jar lifter, remove jars from pot, draining water back into pot. Place jars upside down on towel and let dry for 1 minute. Using funnel and ladle, portion hot preserves into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Slide wooden skewer along inside edge of jar and drag upward to remove air bubbles.
- For short-term storage: Let preserves cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until preserves are set, 12 to 24 hours. (Preserves can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.)For long-term storage: While jars are hot, wipe rims clean, add lids, and screw on rings until fingertip-tight; do not overtighten. Return pot of water with canning rack to boil. Lower jars into water, cover, bring water back to boil, then start timer. Cooking time will depend on your altitude: Boil 10 minutes for up to 1,000 feet, 15 minutes for 1,001 to 3,000 feet, 20 minutes for 3,001 to 6,000 feet, or 25 minutes for 6,001 to 8,000 feet. Turn off heat and let jars sit in pot for 5 minutes. Remove jars from pot and let cool for 24 hours. Remove rings, check seal, and clean rims. (Sealed jars can be stored for up to 1 year.)
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