Blog: Low-sugar preserve with a host of uses
My Japanese blood plum, Lizzie, often bears a huge crop that we just can’t cope with, but this basic freezer jam recipe helps. It’s based on a Martha Stewart recipe but is even lower in sugar.
Once again, the crop has been so heavy that branches have broken. I’ve been used to the habit of plums producing their crop almost all in one go (see more on other plum glut recipes. Many recipes (including the original) use tiny amounts of fruit – 1.3kg. We had picked 5.5kg in two days, and that’s less than half the crop! I also find most jams far too sweet, so I lowered the sugar content, but be aware that this affects the set.
Freezer jam – Lower sugar content
Most jams have about a 50-60 per cent sugar content and this acts as a preservative. As this preserve has less than that, that’s why you need to freeze it. A container will keep in the fridge for 3 weeks. I took a chance on adapting it and added pectin for the first time. This means you can control the set of your preserve (you may need to raise the amount of sugar). Plums have a reasonable amount of pectin naturally, but adding more means you can create a fruit jelly if you want.
As I prefer a loose set, I kept the pectin powder low, at 4g per kg of fruit/sugar used. If you want a set jam, use 8g per kg. For jellies, use up to 18g per kg. I bought Special Ingredients Pectin Powder from Amazon, good supermarkets and health food shops. It’s vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free. It’s very versatile. Just as well, as we made 16 boxes! Use it as a loose-set, runny jam, a compote with yoghurt or ice cream, in cakes or add to smoothies.
Ingredients
These are my quantities, based on what I picked. Adjust them for your crop:
- 5.5kg ripe plums, skins on
- 2.2kg granulated sugar
- 300ml lemon juice
- 50g pectin powder (adjust for a firmer set).
Freezer jam – Method
- Wash and dry plastic containers with tight-fitting lids (takeaway containers are ideal) or Zip-lock bags.
- Wash the plums, then de-stone the fruit over a preserving pan or large pan to catch the juice. Cut out any bad bits.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and pectin powder.
- Add to the fruit, stirring until the sugar mixture dissolves and the fruit returns to a full rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to the jars or bags. Leave a 1cm gap on top, as the preserve will expand in the freezer. Seal and keep at room temperature until cool.
For more ideas on preserving, read my review of The Jam Maker’s Garden.
