Canning Plums Recipes

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.