Part jam and part fruit butter in the old fashioned way. I used no pectin, no preservatives, only fruit, sugar and lemon juice.
In terms of food safety, oven processing fruit and fruit jams is no more risky than the hot water bath method. The reason for that is simple. No open canner will reach above the boiling point of 100°C or 212°F. Keep in mind though that low acid or non-acid foods should never be processed by any other than the pressure-canner method. However oven processed fruits and fruit jams are as safe as those processed in hot water bath.
PLUM JAM
6 cups prune plums, chopped
3 cups sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
- Wash the plums under cold running water.
- Remove the pits.
- Quarter the plums.
- Place the fruit in a heavy Dutch oven.
- With a potato masher crush some of the fruit.
- Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Stir.
- Place the Dutch oven on the stove.
- Start cooking the plums on medium low heat.
- When the plums begin to boil, adjust the heat to a steady, slow simmer.
- Eventually the plums will begin to break down.
- Occasionally give it a stir to make sure the jam doesn’t burn.
- When it’s thick and deep purple coloured remove pot from heat.
- Pack the jam into sterilized jars.
- Place on lids and secure the caps.
- Place jars on the oven shelf so the jars do not touch one another.
- Process jams in the oven just over the boiling point at 212F for 2 hrs.
- Store jams in a dry, cool place.
