This jam is yummy. In addition to the usual modes of consumption for jam this Apple, Pear and Plum combination is an excellent accompaniment to the cheeseboard. It goes ridiculously well with a good vintage cheddar and makes a nice gift.
The recipe includes directions for making the jam in the Pressure King Pro (PKP) as well as on the stove top.
Ingredients
0.5kg Whole Plums, rinsed and de-stalked
0.5kg Pears, peeled*, cored and roughly chopped
0.5kg Bramley Apples, peeled*, cored and roughly chopped-prepare the apples last as they brown rapidly
200 ml water
1.25kg Granulated Sugar (pre-heated in oven at 100 degrees C for 15 mins for best results)
Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 limes (80mls of juice)
20g butter or coconut oil (for dairy free) (optional) -to reduce foaming
*for added pectin (and increased process efficiency-or laziness) the skins can be left on. They are so soft once cooked they can be left in the final jam (I use a stick blender to blend them in at the end)
Method
Put 3 small plates into fridge or freezer ready for jam set testing at the end of the process.
Place the whole plums in the pan together with the chopped apple and pears and water. Simmer gently for 40 minutes in a covered pan until the fruit is soft.
(Pressure King Pro – PKP – set to ‘jam’ for 40 minutes – valve open, lid closed for this step.)
After 40 minutes the fruit will be soft enough to be broken down into pieces with a wooden spoon. Very underripe pears may need a little longer.
For the next step ensure all sugar is thoroughly dissolved before boiling the jam.
Add the sugar and stir until it has all dissolved. (Adding the sugar at this stage rather than at the start prevents tough fruit skin in the jam).
Once all of the sugar has dissolved, stir in the lemon/lime juice and butter or oil (if using). At this stage check for the balance of sweet/tart and add more lemon juice if desired. If the plums aren’t sharp I add the juice of an extra lemon.
Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Do not stir too much during this phase as it cools the mixture, just stir enough to satisfy yourself that the jam isn’t sticking to the bottom.
For the PKP set to multicook 130 degrees C and leave it open -stir only a little-as above. Set time to 10 minutes. If the boiling gets a bit too much reduce temp on PKP to 125 degrees C ( this depends on how much you stir-the more you stir the higher the set temp needs to be).
Once the jam has boiled for 10 minutes remove it from the heat.
Test for set by putting a teaspoon of jam mix onto a cold plate and checking for wrinkles when cool. If you have wrinkles when you move the cooled jam, you are done. If not boil the jam for another few minutes, remove from heat and test again.
Once the jam is set scoop out the plum stones and fill your sterilised jars with yummy apple, pear and plum jam. I sterilise my jars by putting them through the normal 65 degrees C wash in the dishwasher (90 minute cycle) – I set the program just as I start making the jam so they are nice and hot when the jam is ready.
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