Canning Plums Recipes

CANNING PLUMS

Steps:

• Clean the jars and the lids very thoroughly and sterilize them, if desired (Note 2).
• Wash the fruit, halve, and stone.
• Pack tightly in the jars, cut side facing down, leaving about 2 cm/ 0.8 inches headspace. It helps to use tongs to place the plums in the jars.
• Add 1/2 cinnamon stick and 1 anise star into each jar.
• Heat the water in a saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. Once it comes to a boil, let it bubble once or twice and remove it from the heat. Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Pour into the jars, covering the fruit completely. Wipe the rim with a clean, wet paper towel. Seal with the lids. Can.
• Read the canner instructions before using it and follow those instructions if they differ from mine.
• Fill a canner about half full of water. Bring to a boil and lower the jars into the water one at a time with a jar lifter or use the canning rack of the canner to lower all the jars into the water at once. The water should cover the jars by 2 ½ to 5 cm/1 to 2 inches. If not enough, add boiling water as needed.
• Bring to a boil, cover and boil for 20-25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pot.
• Remove wearing mitts and a jar lifter and let cool completely on folded kitchen towels.
• Use a large pot that will allow the jars to stand in it and be completely covered with water. Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of the pot.
• Place the jars on the towel making sure that they don't touch each other. Cover with hot water.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and can the jars for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the jars.
• Try to keep the temperature of the simmering water constant, about 75-80 degrees Celsius/ 170-180 degrees Fahrenheit (light simmer).
• Remove the jars from the pot using a jar lifter and mitts. Caution: the water is very hot!
• Place the jars on folded kitchen towels on the counter and let cool completely.
• Refrigerate any jars that didn't seal for up to 3 weeks.
• Store the sealed ones in a dark cool place.
• The plums will keep for at least 6 months and up to 1 year.

CANNING PLUMS

Steps:

• Prepare a water bath canner.
• Prepare the plums for canning by either slicing them in half and removing their pits for plum halves, or pricking the outside with a toothpick for whole plums with pits.
• Prepare a canning liquid, either water, juice, or syrup (see notes) and bring it to a boil over high heat.
• Hot Pack ~ For hot pack plums (recommended), place the prepared fruit in the boiling liquid and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and place a lid on the pot. Allow the plums to sit in the hot liquid for 20 to 30 minutes to gently heat through. Then pack the hot fruit into canning jars.
• Raw Pack ~ If you choose raw pack instead of hot pack, simply pack the prepared fruit into canning jars.
• For both hot and raw pack, ladle the hot canning liquid over the top of the plums. This should cover them completely but leave 1/2 inch headspace.
• Remove bubbles, adjust headspace, and cap with 2 part canning lids to finger tight.
• Process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes (pints) or 25 minutes (quarts) at altitudes under 1000 feet (see notes below for higher elevations).
• When canning time is complete, remove the jars to a towel on the counter to cool and wait 24 hours before checking seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use, and sealed jars in the pantry.

CANNED PLUM JAM

Steps:

• Prepare jars as described in General Rules.
• Combine plums, sugar, lemonjuice, and salt in a stockpot overhigh heat. Bring to a boil,mashing with a potato masher.Skim scum off top.
• Boil, skimming and stirring frequently,until bubbles slow, youcan see chunks of fruit showingthrough top, and mixtureclings to a spoon, falling offin languid clumps, 10 to 12 minutes.Pick up and discard skinswith a fork, if desired.
• Lift jars out of hot water oneat a time, draining water. (See General Rules for how-to's.) Ladlehot jam into hot jars using awide-mouth funnel, leaving1/2-inch headspace. Slide a nonmetallicspatula or chopstickbetween jam and jar to releasetrapped air bubbles.
• Wipe rim and threads of jarwith a clean, damp cloth. Removelid from hot water. Placelid on jar. Screw band downevenly and firmly, just until resistanceis met. Place in cannerand lower into water.
• Put lid on canner. Bring waterto a boil. Start keeping time afterwater comes to a rolling boil.Process 1/2 pints 10 minutes at agentle but steady boil.
• Turn off heat and remove cannerlid. Let canner cool 5 minutes,then remove jars and set themupright on a dry towel or rack.Do not retighten bands. Let jarscool 12 to 24 hours.
• After jars have cooled, checklids for a good vacuum seal by pressing on center of each. If center is pulled down and does not flex, remove band and gently try to lift lid off with your fingertips. If lid does not flex and you cannot lift it off, seal is set. Wipe lid and jarsurface with a clean, damp clothto remove food particles andresidue. Label. Store jars in acool, dry, dark place.

TOM THUMB CAKE (WITH CANNED PLUMS)

Steps:

• Blend sugar and oil, add eggs and beat well. Sift all dry ingredients together and mix into batter alternately with buttermilk. Stir in nuts, plums and vanilla.
• Pour into ungreased 9X13 pan and bake 1 hour at 300°F
• BUTTERMILK ICING: Mix ingredientsin saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until it forms a soft ball, about 15 minutes. Upon removing cake form oven, poke holes in top with a fork and pour the hot buttermilk icing over it immediately.

ASIAN PLUM SAUCE FOR CANNING

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a large heavy bottom pan bring to boil stirring until thick and syrupy 1 1/2 hours when it reaching 215 F degrees.
• Fill sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims and place lids and rings and process 15 minutes. Shut flame off, remove lid and leave for 5 more minutes.
• Remove to a towel-lined counter to cool in a draft free spot.
• Remove rings and wipe clean, label and place in storage in a cool, dark place.