Homemade Confiture de Prunes (Plum Jam, French Style)

I surely do not have to give any introduction about plums. They grow all over the world from Japan and Asia up to the USA passing through Europe. But just a few points about the fruit must be mentioned. Firstly the plums are very seasonal and can be enjoyed only during summer and early fall. The season for the plums in the USA is generally from May up to September while those here in France (called the prunes, they are the European plums) are available in their best state from June to October. To savor their sweet taste even after the season, it is generally dried and rather known as prune (the French term for the fruit) in English. The other way is of course to convert them into a sweet jam to bring flavor to ones breakfasts.

The plum jam is rather simple and requires no special skills but if not done carefully and in the prefect way, it may result in a disappointment that may last quite a long time. So for this recipe I thought of presenting it in the form of a video so that my viewers can repeat the steps with a visual reference to get their own perfect jam. In fact most of the fruit jams can be made following the same procedures. This is the French style of making fruit jams (called confiture in French).

For my own twist, which is usual with my recipes, I added rosemary and star anise to the jam, which really gives a special flavor and taste to enrich the flavor of the fruit. So here is the recipe for the jam and do not forget to see the video that follows the recipe. 

Homemade Plum Jam
Author: Mitanti Ghosh
Preparation Time: 3 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Servings: 370 grams

Calories per serving: 50 kcal per tbsp (20 gms)

This is a simple homemade jam made with plums (called confiture de prunes in French and very popular in the households of France). The ideal season for plums is from August to October and you can convert them to jam in late summer to enjoy it through the fall.

Ingredients:

• Ripe plums : 4
• Brown sugar : 1/2 cup
• Fresh rosemary : 3 sprigs
• Salt : 1 teaspoon
• Star anise : 1
• Gelatin : 1 sachet (6 grams)

Instructions:

1. Cut the plums into half and discard the seeds.
2. Take them in a deep bottomed pan and add 1 cup of water.
3. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar.
4. Add 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary.
5. Turn on the heat and stir to mix the sugar.
6. Add 1 teaspoon of salt.
7. Stir a bit and press to soften the plums.
8. After about 3 minutes when it starts to boil, add 1 star anise.
9. Let it boil, frequently stir the plums to prevent it from sticking to the base.
10. After about 10 minutes when it attains a sauce like texture, discard the rosemary and star anise.
11. Keep stirring for 5 more minutes.
12. Turn off the heat.
13. Prepare the gelatin mixture by adding 1 sachet of gelatin (6 grams) to 2 tablespoon (30 ml) of cold water (or follow the instructions on the pack of your gelatin).
14. When the jam has stopped bubbling, add the gelatin to the pan.
15. Stir well to mix the gelatin in the jam.
16. Remove the jam and store it in a glass container. The jam will coagulate completely after about 24 hours in the fridge.