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Plum Jam Recipe (No Peel, No Pectin!)

This two-ingredient plum jam recipe is really a cross between plum jam and plum preserves. It's awesome paired with breakfast pancakes or crepes.

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We’re on a canning spree this week. The air is crisp and the mornings are cool. We’re surrounded by a fiery array of leaves that rustle in the warm afternoon breeze. Fall is in the air and canning just feels right this time of year.

I could eat this plum jam by the spoonful; paired with a hot mug of tea (I’m totally day dreaming here)… Our tiny plum tree overproduces the most amazing little plums every year. I wish I could name this variety; anyone recognize these little beauties?

This recipe is really a cross between plum jam and plum preserves. It still has some of it’s preserve-like plum chunks, but it’s nice and thick and spreads beautifully. It’s awesome paired with breakfast pancakes or crepes. Oh and this would make the sweetest Christmas gift!

This two-ingredient plum jam recipe is really a cross between plum jam and plum preserves. It's awesome paired with breakfast pancakes or crepes.

Home Canning Tools:

How to Make Plum Jam:

Cooking the Preserves:

1. Cut 12 lbs of plums in half, pit them and place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle well with 4 1/2  cups sugar. Using a large spoon, stir plums with sugar until all are coated. If your plums are overripe or already very sweet, you may only need 4 cups of sugar total. You can add more sugar to taste while its cooking. Let plums sit at room temp with the sugar for about 1 hour, or until sugar is somewhat dissolved.

Plums on a cutting board, some halved and some whole

Halved plums in a large bowl

Sugar poured on top of halved plums in a large bowl
2. Transfer plums/sugar mixture in to a large cooking pot. Place it on the stove uncovered and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Make sure if you see a light boil to stir because the whole pot may not be boiling, just the center. If it stops boiling after you stir it, continue boiling until everything is uniformly bubbling, then simmer for 10 minutes and turn off the heat. Let the pot stand uncovered until it is just warm to the touch or reaches room temp.

Plum jam in a large pot

3. As soon as it cools, repeat step 2 the same way – simmering 10 minutes. You will bring it to a simmer a total of 4 times, stirring to prevent scorching the bottom. This is why it takes 2 days to make. It’s really easy though and so worthwhile! There’s no “set” waiting time between boilings. If 2 days doesn’t work for you, by all means, take 3 days. Preserves have plenty of sugar so they won’t spoil at room temp if you leave it on the counter overnight. If you want the preserves to have an even thicker consistency, you can boil it 5-6 times if you wish.

(Note: the fourth time you boil, bring it to a boil over a little lower heat and stir a few extra times to prevent scorching. Also, it thickens more as it cools. If using a different type of plum, I suggest adding sugar to taste in case they are more tart)

4. The last time you bring it to a boil you will want to transfer it to sterilized jars while it’s boiling hot.

To sterilize the jars:

1. Start by washing your jars and lids with warm water and soap then let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.

Jars and lids on the table

2. Transfer your boiling hot jam to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/2″ space.

3. Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.

Current Canning Guidelines:

Get up to date on the most recent canning guidelines here. It’s a great resource to answer frequently asked canning questions. Current guidelines recommend the following process (instead of oven canning):

  1. Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes.
  2. Remove from the pot and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal.
  3. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid – it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate jam and enjoy within 3 months.

This two-ingredient plum jam recipe is really a cross between plum jam and plum preserves. It's awesome paired with breakfast pancakes or crepes.

Now don’t you want to curl up with a jar of that?

This two-ingredient plum jam recipe is really a cross between plum jam and plum preserves. It's awesome paired with breakfast pancakes or crepes.

Plum Jam Recipe (No Peel, No Pectin!)

4.88 from 240 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 80 (makes 8 pint-sized jars
  • 12 lbs sweet ripe plums, rinsed
  • 4 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 8 pint-sized jars with lids.

Instructions

  • Place pitted and halved plums into the mixing bowl & drizzle with 4 1/2 cups of sugar. Stir plums until all coated with sugar. Let them sit for 1 hour then transfer the mixture into a large cooking pot.
  • Bring it to a boil uncovered, stirring occasionally. Boil until the mixture is bubbling uniformly. Simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat. Cool to room temperature.
  • Repeat step 2 a total of FOUR times. Last time bringing it to a boil at the lower temperature, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.

To Sterilize Your Jars:

  • Start by washing your jars and lids with warm water and soap then let them dry in the oven at 215 for about 20 min or until completely dry. Boil the lids 5 min.

Filling and processing your jam:

  • Transfer your boiling hot jam to the jars using a glass measuring cup and a funnel (least messy method) leaving about 1/2″ space.
  • Screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don't over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape.
  • Place packed cans into the canning pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Bring to a boil and process 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and leave at room temperature undisturbed for 12-24 hours. You may hear a pop when the jars fully seal. After 24 hours, check that the seal has formed by pushing down on the center of the lid - it should not move at all. If the seal does not form, refrigerate jam and enjoy within 3 months.

Nutrition Per Serving

74kcal Calories19g Carbs106mg Potassium17g Sugar235IU Vitamin A6.4mg Vitamin C4mg Calcium0.1mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Plum Jam Recipe (No Peel, No Pectin!)
Amount per Serving
Calories
74
% Daily Value*
Potassium
 
106
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
19
g
6
%
Sugar
 
17
g
19
%
Vitamin A
 
235
IU
5
%
Vitamin C
 
6.4
mg
8
%
Calcium
 
4
mg
0
%
Iron
 
0.1
mg
1
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: No Pectin, Plum Jam
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 74
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Recipe updated in 2019 to reflect new canning standards. Previously we used the oven method: screw the lids on enough to keep a tight seal in place but don’t over-tighten them since air bubbles need to be able to escape and place in the oven at 350˚F for 15 min then carefully remove from oven, flip upside down and let cool to room temperature.

Signs of Spoiled Canned Food:

With any type of canning, we follow this advice: “When in doubt, throw it out”
Discard and do not eat or taste any canned food if you notice any of the following:

  • the jar is leaking, bulging, or swollen
  • the jar looks damaged, cracked, or abnormal
  • the jar spurts foam or liquid upon opening
  • the canned food is discolored, moldy, mushy, slimy, or smells bad

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the creator behind Natasha's Kitchen (established in 2009), and I share family-friendly, authentic recipes. I am a New York Times Best-Selling cookbook author and a trusted video personality in the culinary world. My husband, Vadim, and I run this blog together, ensuring every recipe we share is thoroughly tested and approved. Our mission is to provide you with delicious, reliable recipes you can count on. Thanks for stopping by! I am so happy you are here.

Read more posts by Natasha

4.88 from 240 votes (91 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  • Rose
    October 8, 2024

    Thank you so much! This was so easy and delicious! I love it!!!

    Reply

  • Dave
    September 23, 2024

    These look just like my Blue Damson plums. They are on the tart side, unless perfectly ripe. Blue Damson’s are supposed to be good for jams. Looking forward to trying the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 23, 2024

      I hope you love it, Dave!

      Reply

  • Kathy
    September 17, 2024

    I can’t wait to make these! My mom used to make plum jam and since she’s passed we’ve gone without. Is there a point in the process where we need to blend or crush these? My dad is worried that they are too chunky?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 18, 2024

      Hi Kathy, these broke down really nicely, we didn’t see a need for that, but if you find yours are still too chunky you can do that or cook it down a bit more. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Lupine Bulmer
    September 14, 2024

    Excellent. My go to recipe. I use Italian plums.

    Reply

  • Eleanor Elizabeth Van Iersel
    September 14, 2024

    I do not see in these instructions and footnotes when or how, the peels are removed. Please advise.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 14, 2024

      Hi Eleanor, I have it both in the title of the recipe and in the post, that you do not need to peel this recipe. The peel mostly dissolves in the process. I hope this helps.

      Reply

  • Karen Farrell
    September 9, 2024

    Hi Natasha, your plums are Prune plums. We also have a tree and they are so delicious.

    Reply

  • Diane Laney
    September 6, 2024

    I don’t like plums very much but was given some and looked for a recipe using them. I am in the middle of making this recipe. The only addition I made to this recipe was adding cinnamon and cardamon suggested from another recipe, but am following this recipe’s instructions. I have to say that I love the flavor! I can’t wait to use this in so many ways. I chose this recipe because of the shorter total cook time as I believe it will help to preserve the flavor better than simmering for two to three hours as other recipes suggest. I also liked the sweat time in the sugar instead of adding additional water that would require longer cooking time to cook out the water. I would love to know the science behind the 10-minute simmer and the cool-down period with a repeat four times.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      September 7, 2024

      Hi Diane! I’m so glad you tried this recipe! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

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