Cinnamon Plum Jam

Wash, half and de-stone all the plums. Cut them in halves again. Place in a large pot (with wide bottom). Add sugar and cinnamon stick. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes or until fruit has softened, stirring occasionally.

Run the mixture through a sieve (not a very fine mesh one as nothing will come out but the juice). Make sure you get all the flesh through—you are just trying to get rid of the peel.

Pour the mixture back in the pot and simmer for another 40 minutes or until you see it has thickened. Tip: Place a small saucer in a fridge before making the jam. When you want to check its thickness, simply take the saucer from the fridge and pour some jam onto it. Leave it cool a few seconds before running your finger through, making a line. If the jam doesn’t fill the line, then you are good to go.

Pour or spoon jam into sterilized jars leaving about 1cm/0.4inch free from the top. Seal with lids and turn upside down. Let it set for at least 30 minutes or until the following day. To see if the jars are properly sealed, tap or push down the lid. If it doesn’t pop up it’s sealed. If it does, it is not airtight. If this happens to you, simply put the jars in your fridge and eat within a week.

Notes:
1. Sanitize your jars and lids by washing them in warm soapy water and subsequently boiling them in water bath for 15 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the jars and lids onto a clean kitchen towel turning them upside down.
2. Airtight sealed jars should last for several weeks, if not months. I advise you to follow current safety standards for canning fruits (sterilize jars and lids plus 10-minute water bath in boiling water once the jars are filled and sealed), especially if you want to can large quantities and you also want to keep your jams for several months. I don’t use water bath for extra safety-sterilization simply because I only can in small quantities and we eat our jams very fast (within 1–3 weeks).