Plum jam and Plum Sauce and some Ale

I was lucky to go with my friend Emma to a ladies house who had 8 plum trees and after picking 3 kg of juicy ripe plums got cracking to turn them into something that would preserve them so i could enjoy them in the months to come.



Well  plum jam is an obvious one but i didn't want to use all the plums on just jam so looked in my new jam and preserves book and found a nice recipe for plum jam and also for plum sauce.  This is the perfect recipe for our house as we love duck pancakes and what better than your own home made plum sauce to go with them.  Making jam is very easy and i turned 2 kg of the plums into jam and got quite a few jars of fruity jam.  while the jam was in its simmering stage i got cracking preparing the vegetables for the plum sauce and started making that, by the time that was at simmering stage the plum jam was ready for bottling so the two recipes worked nicely time wise together.  I was also surprised how much plum sauce i got and it tasted divine, i have to let it sit and mature for 1 month, i wonder if i will have the will power.

Plum Jam 

2kg (4lb 8oz) Plums
1 litre water
125ml (4fl oz/ 1/2 cup) lemon juice
1.5kg (3lb 5oz/6 1/2 cups) sugar
125ml certo

add the plums and water into a pan and bring to the boil then simmer for 50 mins
add lemon juice, sugar, certo and simmer for 5 mins until sugar is gone then boil for 20 mins
remove any scum and use your jam thermometer to bring to temperature, then pour in to clean sterilised jars
clean any spilt jam from rims and add lids. Will keep for 12 months.

Plum sauce

1 large apple
2 red chillis
1.25 kg (2 1/2lb) plums
460g (1 lb/ 2 cups) firm packed brown sugar
375 ml (13fl oz/ 1 1/2 cups) white wine vinegar
1 onion
60ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) soy sauce
2 tbs fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
125 ml (4 fl oz/ 1/2 cup water)

wizz together apple, ginger, chilli's, garlic, onion and place in pan with plums, water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar
bring to boil then simmer for 45 mins stirring often.
remove sauce from heat and press through a sieve into a clean pan and return to heat and cook rapidly to thicken, this sauce thickens as it cools as well.
pour into clean sterile bottles clean any spilt sauce from rims and add lids, wait 1 month to let sauce develop richer flavours.  Will keep for 12 months.

Mean while Ali who is in charge of all the alcohol making has made some scrumptious Ale not from scratch but a kit i bought him for Christmas a Norfolk Werry and it is delicious, £15 for 20 1 litre bottles what good value.