SPICED SLOW-ROASTED PLUM JAM

February 24th, 2021

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I believe plums must be the most prolific stone fruit around (in the top of the south anyway). A short walk around our neighbourhood I notice many backyards with trees laden with fruit, along with wildlings growing on edges of parks and roadsides. 

In my own backyard, we also have our fair share of plums – black doris, greengage and omega – all great cookers for using in baking, preserves and oven jam. There is also a pesky wildling on the border of our property and the riverbank. It has stayed in place because the plums are a feast for the kererū that perform upside-down acrobatics to get to the cherry-sized fruits (pictured below). It is quite a spectacle watching these heavy birds swooping into and hanging in the spindly tree, taking a risk for that sweet treat. 

Spiced Slow-Roasted Plum Jam

I find when I cook plum jam on the stovetop, it takes a long time to cook down. In this recipe, I use the dry heat of the oven to concentrate the plums for an intensely flavoured jam, matched with warming spices. It is essential to use firm-fleshed plums for this lower-sugar conserve, or it won’t cook down. I have included varietal suggestions below.

This makes a thick chunky jam, however, if preferred (like my husband requests) you can tip the jam into a saucepan, remove the whole spices and use a stick blender to puree. Reheat until piping hot then fill the hot sterilised jars.

Servings 3 x 250g jars

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg firm-fleshed plums – black doris, omega, or prune plums such as zwetschge
• 1 cup 200g dark sugar such as demerara, coconut or brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon quill
• 1 star anise, broken into petals

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180C (fan bake 170C).
• Remove the stones from the plums and quarter. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting tray. Place into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes, until the plums soften.
• Reduce the heat to 160C (fan bake 150C).
• Sprinkle the sugar over the plums and add the spices – don’t stir. Cook for 20 minutes to dissolve and caramelise the sugar. Remove the tray from the oven and gently stir then cook for a further 15-20 minutes, until the conserve is thick and bubbly around the edges (keeping in mind it will thicken some as it cools).
• During this final stage of cooking, sterilise the jars using the oven, boiling or using while hot from a dishwasher cycle.
• When the jam is ready, scoop it into a pan and bring to a simmer. Immediately fill the hot sterilised jars with hot jam (along with a spice or two if you want) and secure the lids. Leave the jars to cool on a wooden board.
• Once jars are cool check lids are correctly vacuum sealed – they should be concaving into the jar. Store in a cool, dark place and use within 6 months. Once opened, keep the jam in the fridge and consume within 4 weeks.