Perfect Plum Jelly (without using pectin)

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    This Perfect Plum Jelly doesn't need added pectin. There is natural pectin in the plum pits & skins, and in the fresh lemon juice that I add while cooking. I prefer to use a Steam Juice Extractor to get the maximum amount of tasty juice from the plums. It processes a large amount of fruit with a minimum amount of hassle, and the resulting pure fruit juice is rich and thick with a luscious viscosity that makes it perfect for jelly.

If you prefer very firm jelly, you might want to check out my recipe for "Plum Jelly (with added pectin)". If you prefer not to use a commerically-produced pectin, you can make your own pectin with green (unripe) apples, but that's a whole 'nother blog post. One I haven't had the time to write yet.

Makes ~8 half-pints 

•         8 cups fresh plum juice 
•         6 cups sugar 
•         4 TBS lemon juice (strained) 

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a preserving pan, stirring constantly while the sugar is dissolving.

Once the sugar has dissolved, bring the jelly to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. It could take anywhere from 10-30 minutes of boiling to make jelly, depending on the consistency of the plum juice you use and the amount of natural pectin found in the fruit. Note: Slightly unripe fruit has more pectin than fruit that is too ripe.

Dip a spoon into the boiling jelly. As it nears the jellying point it will drop from the sides of the spoon in 2 drops. When the drops run together and slide off in a solid sheet form the sides of the spoon, the jelly is finished and should be removed form the heat at once. (If you have a candy thermometer, the jelly will need to be about 220 degrees, sea level.)

Remove foam from the jelly and ladle the jelly into clean warm jars, leaving 1/4" of headspace. 

Wipe rims, then place lids on jars. Screw bands onto jars until finger-tight and process for 10 minutes in Boiling Water Bath.

After processing, set jars aside to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Check seal, and it it's concave, store in a cool dark place for one year. If seals didn't take (or if they pop back up when you press down on them) just stick the jar in the fridge. 

Step-by-step photos of the process