Plum Jam

It's been a hot summer. A dry summer. An orchard summer and my plum tree has started to bow under the gorging weight of it's fruit. With the fruit turning rapidly, there was no option but to start making jam. The following Vanilla Plum jam has been adapted from The Chez Pim blog.

Plum Jam

Ingredients

2 lbs plums

3/4 lb sugar

Juice from 1 lemon

2 Vanilla beans

Directions

Place new jars, lids and seals into boiling water and boil for at least 20 minutes.

Pit the plums and cut into chunks. Place in a pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Let stand for an hour covered with parchment paper.

Cut the vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the plum mixture. Add the pods in as well for good measure.

Bring to a boil over medium heat and let simmer until reduced by half, stirring occasionally.

You can also test the jam for readiness by first placing a plate in the fridge. Put a small spoonful on the cooled plate and let cool in the fridge for 2 minutes. If you can run your finger through the jam and create lasting tracks, it's ready. It however, all depends on your own preference.

Ladle jam into jars, seal and finger tighten the lids. Place back into the boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove from water and cool.