Plum Jam(Plout)
….It seems that even in this place, where it’s hot or less hot all year round, summer is indeed the season for fruit. Although summer is already well into August, the market is still full of fragrant and colorful fruits. What caught my eye today was a familiar yet unfamiliar name, Pluot, next to the plums. The flesh was a bit firmer and sweeter than sour. As the name suggests, the Pluot, which looks similar to a plum, is a hybrid of an apricot and a plum. It is generally said to be sweeter than regular plums.
This year, there is an abundance of sweet and delicious plums piled up at the farmers’ market. I wanted to get some plums from @hyunmi_leey’s backyard, but unfortunately, I missed the chance. My husband wasn’t particularly fond of plums, but this year, he’s been eating them every evening. The plums with a white powdery coating are sweeter than expected, and he asked if I could make jam out of them. Remembering the plum jam made by @hyunmi_leey from scratch last year, I tried making it for the first time. To preserve the flesh and remove moisture, I marinated them overnight with muscovado sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla bean, then simmered them on medium-high heat for about 20 minutes. The result was visually appealing and smooth to eat. While jam needs a moderate amount of sugar, it was possible to reduce the sugar since the plums were sweet. We don’t eat a lot of jam, but since I occasionally spread some on bread for lunchboxes, it seems I don’t have to worry about running out for a while.
Servings: 400 ml X 2 bottles
Time: Allow 1 hour plus 12 hours for melting the muscovado and for enough plum moisture to come out (this helps the plums soften)
Ingredients:
- 1800 g plums (pluot plum), skin and seeds removed(1400 g)
- 200 g muscovado sugar
- 100 ml fresh lemon juice
- 2 vanilla beans, cut into half lengthwise and scrape the seeds with a knife
Cooking Instructions:
- Peel the plum with a knife and remove the seeds. Cut it into 4 pieces and place them in a tray.
2. Put the plum, muscovado sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla beans into a pot and mix them well.
3. Let the muscovado melt well and allow enough plum moisture to come out for 12 hours with a lid(it helps the plums soften).
4. After 12 hours, heat the pot over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil.
5. Remove any floating bubbles with a spoon and continue boiling until the moisture is reduced.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pot simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the concentration to your preference, then turn off the heat and allow it to cool.
7. If the plum jam doesn’t spread when a few drops are placed in cold water, the concentration is good.
8. To sterilize the glass jar, put water in a pot and the glass jar upside-down. When the water starts to boil, boil it for 10 minutes with low heat.
9. If there is enough moisture in the glass jar, turn off the heat and leave it to dry.
10. Put the plum jam into the sterilized jar. Store in a refrigerator and use for 3 months.
You can also view this recipe on Instagram.
