Carrots from my Mom's garden; Mom's chokecherry jelly; and wild plums from the bush.
No, it’s not depressing to make or eat. It’s a survivor recipe from the 1930′s or more likely before. It uses a particular plum simply known as the Canada plum or native plum. These things are about the size of a cherry tomato, a bit tart, and can be used exactly as they are without added pectin.
- 6 cups plums
- 2 cups water
- 5 cups sugar
Boil the plums in the water for 30 minutes. Cool and pit (mash them through a sturdy, coarse strainer to get the pits out).
Add the sugar and boil for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. To can, process for 5 minutes to ensure a seal.
This jam works best with slightly less ripe plums, as the natural pectin’s a bit higher. At our first house, we had a wild plum tree in the yard–ornamental in spring, housed a wren through the summer, and fed us as well. They’re not bad eating when they’re closer to the tail end of ripe.
