The Italian Plum or Prunus cocomilia is native to Southern Italy. It is said that the plum may have been one of the first fruits domesticated by humans and that it’s remnants were found in Neolithic age archaeological sites dating back 10,000 years ago. Over the years, this ancient fruit has been used in cakes, preserved in alcohol, dried to make prunes and……made into delicious jam. Right now in Southern Ontario, Italian plums are in abundance and last weekend I honored my daughter’s request and make some Italian Plum Jam. I don’t mind saying it turned out pretty darn good!
Makes 10 -250 ml (8.4 oz. or half pint) jars of jam
Ingredients:
4 lbs. of Italian plums ( 6 cups crushed)
8 cups granulated sugar
1 package of pectin (57 g /2 oz.)
Directions:
Weigh, wash and cut plums in half. Discard pit.
Either finely chop plums by hand or pulse in a food processor. The second choice is much easier & faster. 
Fill your canner up with hot water to the height of the jars that you will be using for your jam. It will take a while to get this volume to a boil so you better start now. If you get ahead of the game, you can always turn it down later.
Fill a medium pot with water and add the seals and screw rings. Bring this to a gentle boil.
Sterilize your jars in the oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Continue to keep them warm in the oven until they are needed.
Combine mashed plums and pectin in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add all the sugar. I add 1/3 at a time and stir in order to dissolve all the sugar and not have it stick to the bottom.
Note: Make sure you use a LARGE pot to make this jam. The volume will really INCREASE when the jam begins to boil. The last thing you are going to want to happen is have this sugary mixture bubble over in the pot and catch FIRE on your burner. Been there and done that!
Once the sugar is dissolved, return to a hard boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Stir and skim for 5 minutes. This step is crucial in order to get a foam free jam (skimming part) that doesn’t have the fruit rising to the top of the jar (stirring part).
Pour jam into warm sterilized jars to 1/4″ from rim.
Wipe the lip of the jar with a wet paper towel in order to ensure that no jam is on the rim of the jar. This could prevent a good seal from happening. Cover with sterilized lids and tighten the screw rings.
Process in a water bath for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the jars with canning tongs and cool on a rack over night. Soon you will hear the sound of success as those lids start popping and ensuring a good seal.
Complimenti (congratulations)! Now tuck some of those jars into your cantina or cold cellar and wait for those cold days of Winter when you’ll need a warm reminder of some late summer tastes!
City Boy Hens 
I love Italian plums and have made jam in the past from them when we had a tree. The tree had to be taken down but I still buy them on the fruit stands in the Fall and make a batch of jam when supplies get low. Even with making, strawberry, raspberry & grape jam, plum is still my favorite. When I began making it years ago I added a few teaspoons of cinnamon to each batch as it was cooking. it gives it a delightfully intriguing flavor – just bumps everything up a notch. If you make it again, try it this way – think you will like it. If I don’t have time to can it, I often put it in small containers and put in the freezer – works fine this way as long as i have room in the freezer.
HI Linda,
Thanks for your comments. I’ll give the cinnamon a try next year!
Regards,
CB
Oh, I bet that is good! Looks beautiful! Well done!
I am delighted that you shared with Home and Garden Thursday,
Kathy
Sounds good. We made wine with those plums years ago and it was the best wine we have ever made. We just can’t find them as cheap as we did that one time to justify making it again. But this I can see, after all it is only 4 lbs!
Best of success with the jam. I’m sure you will enjoy.
Thanks for your comments.
Regards,
CB
Thanks for sharing another great canning recipe with SYC. I haven’t made plum jam in years. Looks delicious!
Jann
Yum, I have an Italian plum tree in my backyard and I can just imagine how tasty they would be in jam! Too bad we already ate most of them this year.
Thanks for sharing on Natural Living Monday!
can I use stevia instead of regular sugar????. We are diabetic Have 2 trees loaded –giving them away, but love jam. ???????
Hi Ann,
I’m sorry but I do not know the answer to your question.
Regards,
CB
Thanks for a very well described and photographed recipe. I’ve made jam many times over the years, but your site gave me a good review of the process. Also I’ll refer it to my daughter, who is relatively new to preserving – I’m sure anyone could follow your instructions.
Thanks Maud,
Best of success to you & your daughter.
Regards,
CB
This plum jam recipe is the bomb! I have never made plum jam before and a friend offered to let pick some Italian plums from her trees. I am always game to try something new, thank you so much for sharing, I am pleasantly surprised by the texture and not too sweet taste of this jam.
Thanks again!
Jennifer
Puyallup, WA
Most welcome Jennifer. Enjoy!
Regards,
CB