Summer and early autumn are the time to prepare not only pickles, but also sweet preparations, among which one of the most popular is plum jam with lemon and natural cinnamon. The delicacy requires a minimum of ingredients and a little free time, and the end result is a delicious and aromatic dessert. In order for the jam to be not only appetizing, but also to retain its quality for as long as possible, you need to know what to pay attention to when preparing the ingredients and containers.
Specifics of making plum jam with cinnamon for the winter
The main difficulty that may arise for the housewife is how much sugar to use depending on the type of plum. The classic ratio is 1:1, but the amount of sugar will have to be adjusted based on the sweetness of the fruit.
Sour plum varieties will need a little more sugar, sweet ones - less, but it is important not to overdo it and not to skimp. A lack of sugar will cause the plum jam to be sour and quickly spoil; too much will lead to rapid sugaring.
Lemon is added to the recipe for its subtle aroma and pleasant aftertaste, so you should choose ripe and small fruits, otherwise the jam will turn out too sour.
Recipe Ingredients
To make delicious and aromatic jam you will need:
- 2 kg plums;
- 1.8 kg sugar;
- 1 cinnamon stick;
- 1 small thin-skinned lemon.
It is preferable to use cinnamon sticks in the recipe, but if you don’t have them, you can use a ground version of the aromatic spice. For the above amount of ingredients you will need 1 tsp.
Product selection
Any variety of plum is suitable for making jam, but several varieties cannot be mixed with each other, as this will negatively affect the taste of the final product. All fruits must be equally ripe, without signs of rot or damage by parasites.
It is best to choose a thin-skinned lemon; the fruit must be ripe. This is easy to check: the ripe fruit has a lumpy and shiny surface; there are no marks or dents left on it after pressing.
Cinnamon is preferable in the form of sticks, it is a natural product. Unscrupulous manufacturers may sell substitutes under the guise of ground spices.
How to prepare containers
Ordinary 0.5 liter glass jars, which are sealed with metal lids, are best suited. Such containers can be easily sterilized, thanks to which plum jam will retain all its beneficial properties longer and will not ferment or become moldy.
There are several ways to sterilize containers:
- Pour boiling water over thoroughly washed jars, cover with a lid and leave for 10 minutes.
- Place the clean, damp container in the oven and set the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius, wait no more than 5 minutes until the jars are completely dry;
- Place the clean container in the dishwasher and rinse without using household chemicals at a temperature of at least 70 degrees, the cycle must be complete.
- The classic option is to place a holder on a pan of water, place the jar on it with the neck down, let the liquid boil and steam the container for at least 5 minutes.
The lids are poured with boiling water for 3 minutes, after which they are laid out on a clean, dry towel.
How to make plum jam with cinnamon at home
The recipe is quite simple, even a novice housewife can easily cope with it:
- Wash the plums thoroughly, cut them in half or into quarters and remove the pits. Cut the lemon into small thin slices.
- Place chopped plums and lemon in a thick-bottomed stainless steel pan, add sugar and mix thoroughly.
- Leave the resulting mixture for at least 5 hours and wait for the fruit to release juice. After this, place the pan on low heat and cook, constantly stirring the jam with a wooden spoon or spatula. This should be done until the mixture thickens.
- When the jam has reached the desired consistency, add cinnamon to it and boil for no longer than 20 minutes.
Hot plum jam is laid out in pre-prepared sterilized containers and sealed. The treat is allowed to cool and stored in a cool, dry place.
Plum jam can only be packaged in dry containers, otherwise the product will ferment or become moldy.
Storage rules
The optimal place to store plum jam is a pantry or deep kitchen cabinet, where sunlight does not reach and the temperature does not rise above 15 degrees Celsius.
You should not store jars of plum jam near heating appliances or in rooms that freeze during the cold season, as this will damage the container. Places with high humidity should be avoided, as this will cause rust to form on the lids and they will no longer be completely sealed.
Even if all storage rules are followed, you should regularly inspect canned food and, first of all, consume treats with the following signs:
- the dessert began to become sugary;
- air bubbles are visible in the container;
- the slices sank to the bottom or floated to the surface.
If mold is found in canned food, then such jam should not be eaten, as it contains a large amount of toxins that often cause health problems.
