Homemade Spiced Plum jam Recipe- Like Grandma Made (but no pectin!)

Hi Bakers,

Have you ever wished you could taste a memory? I remembered a jam my grandma used to make every Christmas. It was made with fresh plums with a deep red color and warm spices. She sealed it with wax on top, so we had to pry it open to get a spoonful. It was perfect on toast or pancakes dripping with butter. Sadly, my Grandma forgot she ever made it... But I couldn’t forget how it tasted.

I forgot about this special jam until I saw a bag of red plums at the market and thought… Why not try to make it myself? I used my sense of smell to figure out which spices went in and then made a simple pectin-free jam as the base.

This spiced plum jam is sweet, tangy, and full of cozy fall flavor. It’s my first attempt, and it came out amazing—even if the plum skins gave me some trouble. Got a tip for that? Let me know! You can’t buy this jam in stores—but now you can make it at home. Try it and tell me what you think! Enjoy ~Carolyn
Easy Refrigerator Spiced Plum Jam (No Pectin)

4 cups of fresh plums,  Italian, Santa Rosa, or Red Plums

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Wash the plums and remove the pits. I left the skins on for color and flavor, but I should have left them in halves so I could pick the skins out more easily. Add to a large sauce and stir in sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat while stirring until boiling. Turn the heat down to medium and add the spices. Continue stirring until plums are soft and have broken down. This will take a while. This batch took 40 minutes. Check the thickness of your jam by placing a teaspoonful on a cold plate. It will cool quickly, and if it’s thick enough for your liking, remove from the heat. Strain(or keep it chunky and only remove the skins) into a sealable jar and let cool slightly before placing the lid on. Store in the fridge for 2 weeks or longer in the freezer. Enjoy!