Vanilla Cardamom Plum Jelly Food

VANILLA CARDAMOM PLUM JELLY

Steps:

• Prepare jars and lids by sterilizing in hot water.
• Line a colander with cheesecloth and place it inside a bowl.
• Bring plums, water, brandy, lemon juice, and cardamom to a boil in large pot over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until fruit is soft, about 15 minutes.
• Pour plum mixture into colander. Without pressing on fruit, let mixture drain until all juice has strained into the bowl, about 45 minutes. Add water to make 2 3/4 C juice.
• Return juice to pot with pectin, vanilla and bring to a full boil over high heat until mixture doesn't stop bubbling when stirred.
• Stir in sugar and return mixture to a full boil. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove pot from heat. Skim off and discard any foam from top.
• Ladle jelly into hot jars, filling them to within 1/4 inch of their rims. Cover each jar with a two-piece lid. Return jars to canner.
• Process filled jars for 5 minutes, beginning timing when water comes to a boil. After 5 minutes, turn off heat and remove canner lid. Allow jars to rest in hot water 5 minutes.

DAMSON PLUM CARDAMOM JAM

Steps:

• In a sink full of cool water, rinse and de-stem the plums. Place them in a thick-bottomed pan suitable for slow cooking and deep enough to allow frothing when the plums begin to boil. Add the water and cardamom pods and bring the mixture to a low boil over medium heat. Turn heat to low for a slow simmer and allow the fruit to cook down uncovered for 1 1/2 hours. Allow the plums to cool.
• To pit the plums, strain the cooled plums with a colander, pressing the juice out with your hands and collecting it in a large bowl. Pick up the pit-and-fruit slurry in the colander by small handfuls and squeeze the plum pulp and skins gently into the bowl with the syrup, retaining the pits in the palm of your hand and then discarding them.
• Put the plums back into the original pot with the sugar and butter. Cook at a very low simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, about 4 hours. To test for adequate development of pectin, drop a spoonful of the jam on a plate and put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes: the mixture should be soft-set and no longer syrupy.
• Ladle the hot jam into hot, sterile jars, wipe the rims clean, place sterile lids on, and tighten the screw caps. Allow the jars to cool to room temperature and check to be sure that each jar has sealed.

PLUM VANILLA JAM

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients to a boil in a large stockpot, mashing with a potato masher. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is the consistency of very thick honey, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove plum skin if desired. Discard vanilla bean and zest. Do not strain; jam should be chunky.

YUMMY SPICED PLUM JELLY

Steps:

• Wash plums and put in large pot. (I used red plums).
• Add 1/2 cup of water per pound of plums, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cardamom pods that have been cracked open.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.
• Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer and mash plums with a potato masher. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring and smooshing plums occasionally.
• Put a colander or sieve over a large bowl. Line the colander with a triple layer of cheese cloth or with a J cloth (I use two J cloths crisscrossed to cover all the holes in the colander).
• Pour the plum mixture into the lines colander and let drain for about 2 hours until it stops dripping. Don't squish or else you will get cloudy jelly.
• Measure out 4 cups of plum juice, sugar, and vanilla into a large stainless steel pot. DO NOT double the recipe because it can affect setting of the jelly.
• Stirring constantly, over high heat, bring the mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Add the pectin and return to a boil then boil for one full minute while stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and skim off foam. (I find it easiest to skim foam using a cold metal spoon).
• Use a ladle to pour jelly in to hot clean jars. (Jars must be hot so the temperature of the jelly isn't a shock to the jars causing them to break). Be sure to leave 1/4 inch of space.
• Wipe the rims of the jars, place metal snap lids on top and thread metal rings in place. Do not over tighten the metal rings or air won't be able to escape.
• Place jars in water bath canner making sure they're completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.