Raspberry Plum Jam

It used to be that I would look longingly upon raspberries at farmers markets and u-pick farms. I might be tempted to buy a small half-pint, but there was certainly never a glut of raspberries. Which was sad for me because simple raspberry jam is one of my favorite treats. Funny how life works (was it creative visualization?) because now I am dealing with large quantities of raspberries. This year I started working as the jam maker for a local organic farm, Westwind Orchard. They grow a lot of gorgeous raspberries, a lot of which I make into jam. I’ve learned so much more about how raspberries act in preserves!

For personal stashes of jam, my friend’s father, who is also my neighbor, invited me to start picking from his small raspberry patch. Never one to turn down fruit, this year’s yield has allowed me to start experimenting. Their were some tart Italian prune plums in the house the other day, so I gave it a go. This pairing is such a natural, time wise—the raspberries and Italian prune plums are both in season at the same time in September. But it didn’t immediately feel simpatico–delicate raspberries with more earthy prune plums? Actually, yes!

One should note that however soft and yielding raspberries seem, their taste can actually be quite powerful! A small amount of raspberries can go a long way. What’s nice about the plums is that they meld with the raspberries’ flavor, amping them up with their acidity, stepping away to give the raspberry flavor center stage. The plums also add a pectin boost which offers a very nice set. The result is a lovely textured jam that tastes mostly like raspberries. A nice way to extend your raspberry purchases!

Raspberry Plum Jam

Yields six half pint jars

1 pound Italian prune plums, chopped into coarse dice

1 pound raspberries

1 pound sugar

Note: I did not use lemon in this jam because the plums were so tart. If you have a sweeter plum, please use a two teaspoons.

Mix all the ingredients together, and let them sit overnight (or about 8 hours) and macerate. Add to a heavy-bottomed jam pot and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, give it between ten and twenty minutes of boiling for it to set. It will look glossy and shine. You may water bath this for ten minutes, following proper canning procedures.

See Food In Jars’ post on ensuring the set of your jam. More questions? Consult her amazing Canning 101 page.