The marathon of unusual jam recipes continues! Today, I present three of the most spicy, tangy, and unique plum jam variations.
Plums and Eastern Spices
For 1 kg of plums:
- 500 g sugar
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 anise stars
- Optional: a bit of lemon juice or citric acid.
Wash the plums, cut them in half, and place them in the pot where you’ll later cook the jam. Break the cinnamon stick into smaller pieces and place it on top of the plums along with the anise stars and cloves. Sprinkle with sugar and let the fruits “sweat” for 2 hours.
Place the pot on very low heat and simmer for an hour and a half until thickened, stirring every 10 minutes. In the original recipe, the pot with the syrup was placed in an oven preheated to 150°C (302°F) and simmered for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Pour the hot jam into sterilized jars, seal them, and wrap warmly. This jam holds up perfectly—spices in this recipe act as natural preservatives.
Tips: You can, of course, experiment with spices. I’m planning to add 3-4 cardamom pods or maybe even a couple of coffee beans. This jam is very unusual and spicy. If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, just add a tiny piece from a whole stick. The spices should go into the jars too, not to be discarded.
Plum in Chocolate
For 1 kg of plums:
- 1 lemon
- 500 g sugar
- 1 bar of dark chocolate.
Wash the plums, remove the pits, and puree them in a blender. Add lemon juice and sugar. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, then add the chocolate and let it melt. Pour into jars, seal, and turn them upside down for 10 minutes. Let cool and then store away.
Tips: This is the original recipe, but I personally prefer plum slices instead of puree and I skip the lemon—plums were sour enough. Without lemon, the jam turns out like a fruit Nutella… Words cannot describe the taste… In 30 minutes, the jam cooks well, and the jars stay sealed without any issues.
Spicy Plum with Cocoa
For 1 kg of plums:
- 700–800 g sugar
- 0.5 cup of cocoa powder
- 0.5 cup of hazelnuts
- Cardamom and cinnamon to taste (preferably not ground).
Remove the pits from the plums and coat them with sugar overnight. Simmer the sugared plums on the stove for 20–30 minutes with a cinnamon stick. Add high-quality natural cocoa powder and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add nuts and simmer for another 20 minutes. Transfer to sterilized jars and seal. This amount of ingredients makes about three 0.5-liter jars—just enough to try out.
Tips: The nuts become soft but remain delicious. You can use almonds, walnuts, or skip the nuts altogether—I wouldn’t say that the jam’s uniqueness solely relies on them. The cocoa must be of excellent quality, or it will ruin the flavor with its gritty texture. I personally use Belarusian cocoa. You can skip the cinnamon, and you can also puree the plums. For those who like their jam thicker, you can cook it down longer or add pectin—but in my opinion, pectin leaves a subtle aftertaste in the final product. I avoid any additives as much as possible.
Unusual Jam. The Tastiest Recipes. Part 1
Recipes for Unusual Jam. Part 3
To be continued!
