Red Plum & Raspberry Jam With Vanilla, Lemon Balm, & Spices

Remember in my last post where I talked about raspberry picking and got 3 pints of raspberries but only used two pints to make that pie? Well, this is what I did with the last pint. I couldn't make much jam with only one pint of raspberries, which was why I picked up a pound of local red plums while I was at Mom's Country Orchards. They smelled so sweet, and when the staff cut me a slice to sample and the plums tasted as good as they smelled, it took pretty much all the self control I had to buy only one pound instead of twelve.

My name is Eva, and I have a compulsive seasonal fruit problem.

So I threw this jam together and oh my sweets, the vanilla really did do wonderful things to the red plums and raspberries. Really, just wonderful. Sweet but not too sweet, thanks to the slight lemon tang, and comforting with that earthy floral warmth that only vanilla can bring. That combined with the cinnamon-clove-nutmeg spice blend was really something to behold. So if you're looking for a way to preserve those late summer berries and plums all year long, I highly recommend giving this jam a try. The only thing you will regret is not having more toast in the house.

Also, in my last post I held a giveaway for my extra winter seeds, which included some very rare and tasty squash. The winner of that giveaway is....

Kam!

Congratulations on your new bounty of winter produce! May it keep you full and happy long into the cold winter season.

Click Here For Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

(3) 8-Ounce Canning Jars, sterilized

1 lb Red Plums, peeled, cut in half, & pitted

1 Pint Raspberries

1 Packet Powdered Pectin

Juice from 1 Lemon

2 and 1/4 Cups Granulated Sugar

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon Grated Lemon Rind

1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Balm, finely chopped

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Cloves

1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg

Mix together the pectin and 1 cup of the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Combine it with the raspberries and plums in a medium-sized pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil once again, stirring every minute or so and crushing the fruits with the end of a wooden spoon.

Continue to cook the jam for 8 more minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Pour the jam into the canning jars, secure the lids as tightly as you can, and fully submerge the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove them from the water bath with a pair of canning tongs and allow the jars to cool to room temperature before handling. Processed correctly, jam kept in a canning jar with an unbroken seal should be good up to a year.