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Plum Jam Recipe

Plum jam with a port wine finish—fresh plums are rested, boiled, and simmered to a thick spoon-coating texture. Stir in vanilla and optional port at the end for deep, wine-dark complexity and a jammy set that gels on a cold plate.
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Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 45
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fresh plums
  • 4 cup fresh plums, pitted and chopped
Granulated sugar
  • 2.5 cup granulated sugar
Lemon juice and zest
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
Spices
  • 0.25 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.125 tsp salt pinch
Port wine (optional)
  • 2 tbsp port wine for depth optional

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the jam base
  1. Combine pitted plums, granulated sugar, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest in a heavy Dutch oven; stir until sugar is moistened. Rest 30 min, then stir again to re-distribute fruit.
Cook to thick set
  1. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce to a steady simmer and simmer 25-35 min, stirring occasionally, until thick.
Finish and test for set
  1. Stir in vanilla extract (and optional port wine) for the last 2 min, keeping the jam at a gentle simmer. Test a small spoonful on a cold plate—if it wrinkles when pushed, it’s set.
Jar the jam
  1. Ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving headspace, then cap tightly. Process in a water bath for 10 min, or refrigerate and use within 4 weeks.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the simmer steady—too vigorous can cause foaming and a looser set, so stir more often near the end of the 25-35 min window. Refrigerate jam in sealed jars for up to 4 weeks; freezer storage is not recommended based on the tested method here. For a lower-sugar swap, use a no-sugar-needed pectin kit designed for jams (follow the kit timing and replace the cook window as directed).