A pluot is a hybrid fruit that's a combination of a plum and apricot. If you are lucky enough to live where pluots are available, making pluot jam is a way of preserving the fruit for a taste treat any time of the year. You can use this recipe to make any type of plum jam, including the more available plumcot fruit, which is also a hybrid of a plum and an apricot.
Instructions
1. Fill the canner half full of water and bring to a simmer. Place the clean jars in the canner to be sterilized while you are preparing the jam. (There's no set time to let it simmer; the jars will be ready when you are.) You also can wash the jars in the dishwasher.
2. Place the canning lids in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring these to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
3. Pit and finely chop the pluots into a large stockpot. Add 1/2 cup of water.
4. Bring the fruit to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Measure 6 cups of cooked pluots and juice from the boiled fruit. Set any extra fruit and juice aside. If needed, add additional water to get the 6-cup measure. Pour back into the stockpot.
6. Put 8 cups of sugar into a bowl.
7. Add 1 box of pectin and stir into the fruit until dissolved.
8. Bring the fruit to a rolling boil, stirring constantly to keep it from foaming over the top of the pan.
9. Stir in the sugar and bring the mixture back to a full, rolling boil for 1 minute. Again, stir constantly. Remove from heat.
10. Remove the jars from the canner by lifting them out of the water using the tongs.
11. Place a canning funnel inside the first jar. Use a ladle to fill the jar to within 1/2 inch of the top of the jar.
12. Use the tongs to remove a jar lid from the saucepan. Place the lid on top of the jar and screw on a jar ring to secure the lid. Fill the remaining jars in the same way.
13. Place the jars back into the canner using the jar lifter.
14. Bring the water in the canner to a boil and cover.
15. Process the jam for 10 minutes.
16. Use the jar lifters to remove the jars from the canner and place them on a counter to cool.
17.Test the jars after 24 hours to make sure the lids have sealed. Depress the center of the lid; if there is no movement, the jar is sealed properly. Any jars that do not seal properly should be stored in the refrigerator and used as soon as possible.
Tags: back into, Bring fruit, from canner, jars from, jars from canner, Place canning, plum apricot