Repost from (2010-11-11 21:13) Updated (2020-08-15)

Update 8/15/2020: I haven’t made these preserves in ages. I had a surplus of pluots, so preserves it is! Starting around 2PM today, and wrapping up around 3:30PM, 3 lbs of pluots, 4 sticks of cinnamon, 2.25 cups of Billings sugar, a squeezed lemon, and 2 vanilla pods netted about 5 cups of preserves. It also meant I blew my sugar for the day in tiny tastes here and there.

This jam (preserves, I call everything jam even though I do know the technical difference) is ridiculously easy to make. No special ingredients outside of the vanilla pods, and you can probably sub them out with vanilla extract in a pinch. That said, I got 10 grade B (fine for jam!) overnight from Amazon for $15. I used Billingtons sugar this time, so that added natural molasses. I think it added some depth it doesn’t have when I make it with regular table sugar.

I know, I promised it a week or two ago. Aren’t I always running behind? I’ve been canning in the kitchen lately – yum. I’ve made pear butter and apple butter and apple sauce and I’ve got more in the works (that’s just the recent batches).

So yah, the divine plum-vanilla preserves. I can’t remember where I got the recipe from, but hey, what recipe is original any more?

Print Recipe

Plum-Vanilla Preserves

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Course: Condiment, Spread

Author: Jennifer

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs firm-ripe plums, cut into 1-inch pieces (with skin) – to be honest, they can be a little mushy Last time I made this I just cut them in half, pulled the pit, and called it a day.
1 1/2 lbs firm-ripe plumcots (pluots, dinosaur eggs) or apricots, cut into 1-inch pieces (with skin) – again, can be a little mushy
2 1/4 cups sugar
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise and halved crosswise see recipe for notes
4 small cinnamon sticks
1 lemon

Instructions

Put the plums, sugar, vanilla beans, and cinnamon in a large wide saucepan. Squeeze the lemon juice through a strainer into the pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils, about ten minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy or deep-fry thermometer registers 220F, about 30 minutes. To be sure that the mixture has reached the gel point, spoon some onto a chilled plate and put in the freezer until cool. The liquid should set; if not, continue to cook and retest after a few more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, if canning, sterilize four 8-ounce canning jars and lids
Return the plum mixture to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring, then add the plumcots. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the plumcots are tender, about 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod pieces if still present.
Fill the jars with the plum mixture, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, then seal and process.

Notes

I like to scrape the vanilla beans in between step 1 and 2, stirring the seeds well into the mix as well as returning the actual bean pieces. Discard the large beans pieces before canning.

Step 4 has you discarding the cinnamon sticks – while I am not a cinnamon fan, leaving a stick in the jar adds to the taste over time.