Plum and apple jam is a delicious combination of late summer or early autumn fruit and a great way to use up a glut from the orchard. Easy to make, with no added pectin, this beginner friendly recipe is a great way to expand your jam repertoire.
Plum & Apple Jam
This delicious combination of orchard fruits makes a wonderful old-fashioned jam. As with the more common blackberry and apple, there is enough pectin in the cooking apples to set the jam perfectly, so there is no need add more.
See Also
- Want a simple and easy plum jam recipe too, try our favourite recipe.
- Frozen mixed berry jam is a reader’s favourite jam recipe.
- With only three ingredients this small batch blackberry jam is sure to please.
- How to make jam is a step-by-step tutorial for all things jam!
I find this plum and apple jam recipe is perfect for making plums go further, as there is often a glut of cooking apples. Having said that, the recipe is pretty flexible, so you can use more plums if you have them.
I like to make most of my stone fruit jams (see my plum jam, nectarine jam and apricot jam) with the conserve method. This doesn’t work, however, when you are using apple. The pieces just won’t break down after their sugar bath!
Enjoy this pretty, traditional preserve on scones or in a classic sandwich cake. The recipe makes 2 regular sized jars of jam from around 500 g prepared fruit, but can be scaled to the quantity of fruit available.
Why make plum & apple jam?
- It is easy – anyone can make this lovely jam. And there are just three ingredients!
- This jam sets really easily making it perfect for beginners, or less confident preservers.
- Plum and apple jam without pectin – all the pectin you need is in the fruit!
- Homemade is so much better than shop bought.
- This plum and apple jam recipe is scalable. I make jam by ingredient ratios – more of this later.
- It makes your plums go further – if you want a big batch, but don’t have enough plums, use more apples. The jam still tastes strongly of plums.
Plum and apple jam ingredients
- Plums – ripe, or slightly under ripe, variety doesn’t really matter, although different varieties have different colours, so the appearance of the final jam will vary.
- Apples – cooking apples (I like the classic Bramleys), ideally an apple that will break down as it cooks. Some dessert apples can turn chewy rather than breaking down nicely, which is why a good cooker is better.
- Sugar – regular granulated white sugar – no need for jam sugar
How to make plum and apple jam – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this plum and apple jam recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Before you start, make sure you have clean, sterilized jars ready for the jam. Then prepare the fruit. Peel, core and chop the apples. Wash the plums, cut them in half, removing the stones, and then chop into smaller pieces.
Step Two – Weigh the fruit. Put the prepared fruit into a pan, and then weigh out water to 20 % the weight of the fruit. Add this to the pan too.
Helen’s Pro Tip
When you choose your pan, remember that you need plenty of space, and in particular, you need more depth than you might assume if you are not a regular preserver. The jam will rise up high in the pan as it cooks, occupying much more space than the cold ingredients. A tall pan will reduce the risk of splashes and scalds.
Step Three – Simmer over a low heat until the apples are soft and fluffy. Depending on quantities and the type of apple, this takes about 5–10 minutes.
If necessary, break the apples down with a potato masher. Do this before you add the sugar.
Step Four – Add the sugar and stir it in, Heat gently and allow the jam mixture to simmer but not boil, until all the sugar has dissolved. With the quantities below, this will take about 5 minutes.
If the sugar is slow to dissolve, you may feel that you have too much sugar. This is not the case. If necessary, you can add another splash of water, but try to avoid this. There is liquid in the fruit, which the sugar will draw out.
While you are heating the jam on the stove top, heat your jam jars and lids in the oven, so that they will not crack when you fill them.
Step Five – Slowly bring the jam to boiling point and continue to cook until it reaches setting point.
Stir frequently, and scrape the bottom of the pan so that none of the fruit catches and burns. This will take about 10 minutes, depending on the size and shape of your pan.
Step Six – As you approach setting point (around 105°C / 221°F), the jam will thicken and you will see a change in the bubbles in the jam as they become larger and more defined.
Now take the jam off the heat.
How to test for setting point
This is the only tricky bit of making jam: checking it’s hot enough to set, so that when cool, it will be jam rather than liquid.
The temperature test. Digital jam thermometers are affordable and are much easier to read than traditional jam thermometers. Heat the jam to the setting point (usually 105°C/221°F) and once your jam is there, you know it should be ready.
Caution: Use temperature only as a guide. Once the thermometer reads 105°C, I give the jam a good stir to get rid of any hot spots and then test with the wrinkle test.The wrinkle test. Place a couple of side plates in the freezer before you start making your jam. Once the jam is boiling, start testing by placing some on one of the plates. Allow it to cool on the plate. Then push your finger through the jam. If you see it wrinkle up ahead of your finger, it is ready. This technique takes a bit of practice.
The flake test. Take a spoonful from the pan and turn it vertically to tip out the jam. If the jam runs off, it hasn’t set. If, however, some sticks to the spoon in a sort of wide drip that doesn’t fall, the jam is ready. Again, this works best with some practice. You are looking for a change in behaviour from the jam.
For more in-depth coverage, read my full guide to jam setting point.
Step Seven – Check that your jam is ready to set. If not, cook a little longer.
Step Eight – Transfer your jam into heated sterilized jars. I like to use a sterilized jug and pour through a jam funnel.
Helen’s Pro Tip
Let the jam sit in the jug for a few minutes to cool and thicken, then give it a stir and check the fruit is evenly distributed before you pot the jam. If you pot it when it is too hot the pieces of fruit can rise to the top.
Wipe away any drips and seal the jars with the lids, making sure they are secure. Leave them to cool and then check that they are sealed.
There is a little dimple in the lids of modern jam jars that will pop down as the jam cools, creating a secure seal. If not, you should be able to pop it down with a gentle pressure. If it does not stay depressed, the jar is not well sealed.
A jar that won’t seal properly should be treated as if it has already been opened. Keep it in the fridge once cool and treat it as if already open, eating it within a few weeks.
Serving suggestion
Delicious in all the usual ways you enjoy jam. Try a spoonful on rice pudding!
Variations
- Add a pinch of cinnamon for a warmly spiced version.
- Mixed fruit jam – subsitute some damsons or nectarines for some of the plums if you don’t have enough.
Storage
Check the jars are properly sealed. If any fail to seal, keep them in the fridge and use those first.
Sealed jars should be stored in a cool dark cupboard.
Hints and tips
- Choose a deep pan. Not only will the jam rise up high to fill most of the pan when it is hot, but it can spit and splash. Boiling jam liquid is hotter than boiling water. You don’t want to scald yourself.
- Don’t forget to heat the jars while you cook the jam, even if they have already been sterilized. If you pour hot liquid into cold glass, the glass can break.
- A jam funnel makes life much easier and you can find them for the price of a couple of takeaway coffees.
- Different varieties of plums come in a range of colours, some with deep scarlet or purple flesh, others golden. This will affect the colour of your jam, but it will taste great, whichever you use.
Plum apple jam recipe – ingredient ratios & yield
It is easy to scale jam recipes up or down, so you can work to the quantity of fruit you have. If you have a lot of fruit, you may find it more manageable to make your jam in small batches.
Here are the are the ingredient ratios for this plum and apple jam recipe, so you can adjust it to your fruit.
I used equal weight of prepared plums and apples.
You can use a 40:60 ratio either way without making much difference to the resulting jam, though a jam with 60 % apple may have a firmer set than one with 60 % plums.
- 400 g whole cooking apples yields about 250 g of prepared fruit: you lose about 30 % with the skin and the core. If using windfalls, you can lose as much as half the weight of the fruit when you cut out the bruised flesh.
- 280 g of plums yielded 240 g of prepared fruit.
- Add about 20 % of the weight of the prepared fruit in water when cooking the apples.
- The weight of the sugar needs to be about the same as that of the prepared fruit.
FAQs
No. The skins will cook down and become very soft. Obviously, you can peel them if you particularly dislike the skins, but this is messy and difficult, resulting in a lower yield of usable fruit.
As long as you have cut out any damaged pieces of fruit and sealed the jars correctly, your jam will last unopened in a cool dark cupboard for several years. Having said that, I think the flavours are freshest if you eat it within 18 months. Once opened, keep your jam in the fridge and consume within a few weeks.
No. I know it looks like a huge amount of sugar, but it is necessary. The sugar preserves the fruit and gives the jam its flavour. If you reduce it, the jam will not set, and may not last. Remember that you only eat a little jam at a time and enjoy it with a clear conscience.
More jam recipes
- Easy plum jam – if you don’t have apples, why not try this easy plum jam recipe?
- Spiced plum chutney with apple – delicious with cheese
- Blackberry and apple jam – the classic forager’s jam
- A collection of the best jam and jelly recipes – all my favourite sweet preserves
Plum & Apple Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g (400 g) cooking apples, such as bramleys (250 g prepared weight of fruit.)
- 280 g (280 g) plums (240 g prepared weight of fruit)
- 100 ml (0.4 cups) water
- 500 g (2.5 cups) sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit. Peel, core and chop the apples. Wash the plums, cut them in half, removing the stones, and then chop into smaller pieces.400 g cooking apples, such as bramleys
- Put the fruit in a large pan with high sides, and add the water. Put sterilized jam jars in the oven to warm on a low heat while you make the jam.280 g plums, 100 ml water
- Simmer over a low heat until the apples are soft and fluffy. Depending on quantities and the type of apple, this takes about 5–10 minutes.If necessary, break the apples down with a potato masher. Do this before you add the sugar.
- Add the sugar and stir it in, Heat gently and allow the jam mixture to simmer but not boil, until all the sugar has dissolved. Do not rush to add more water but allow the sugar to draw the juices out of the fruit and combine. If you need to add a splash of extra water, you can.
- Slowly bring the jam to boiling point and continue to cook until it reaches setting point. Stir frequently, and scrape the bottom of the pan so that none of the fruit catches and burns. This will take about 10 minutes.
- As you approach setting point (around 105°C / 221°F), the jam will thicken and you will see a change in the bubbles in the jam as they become larger and more defined.
- When you think you have reached setting point, remove from the heat and check with a wrinkle or drip test. If the jam is not ready, cook for a little longer and check again.
- Transfer your jam into heated sterilized jars. I use a sterilized jug and pour through a jam funnel to avoid making a mess.
Notes
Yield
The quantities given yield about 660 ml or 2.75 cups of jam. Jam jar sizes vary, but typically this works out at around two jars.Storage
Check the jars are properly sealed. If any fail to seal, keep them in the fridge and use those first. Sealed jars should be stored in a cool dark cupboard.Hints and tips
- Choose a deep pan. Not only will the jam rise up high to fill most of the pan when it is hot, but it can spit and splash. Boiling jam liquid is hotter than boiling water. You don’t want to scald yourself.
- Don’t forget to heat the jars while you cook the jam, even if they have already been sterilized. If you pour hot liquid into cold glass, the glass can break.
- Let the jam sit in the jug for a few minutes to cool and thicken, then give it a stir and check the fruit is evenly distributed before you pot the jam. If you pot it when it is too hot the pieces of fruit can rise to the top.
- A jam funnel makes life much easier and you can find them for the price of a couple of takeaway coffees.
- Different varieties of plums come in a range of colours, some with deep scarlet or purple flesh, others golden. This will affect the colour of your jam, but it will taste great, whichever you use.
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