Homemade Plum Jelly
Learn how to make delicious homemade plum jelly with just a few simple ingredients! Includes easy tips for using honey, sweeteners, or less sugar—plus answers to all your jelly-making questions.
Servings 6 (8 oz.) jars
Calories 50kcal
Ingredients
- 5 pounds ripe plums
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1 (1.75 ounce) box fruit pectin
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6-1/2 cups granulated sugar
Instructions
- Slice the plums in half and remove and discard the pits. Don’t bother peeling the plums.
- Place the plums to a large stockpot. Add the water. Bring the pot to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Strain the juice by pouring it first through a colander and then again through a fine mesh strainer. You can also line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Allow the fruit to drain for at least 30 minutes. Discard the fruit.
- You should have about 5 ½ cups of plum juice. Pour the juice back into the pot.
- Add one box of pectin and the butter. Bring the juice to a hard rolling boil.
- Add the sugar. Continue to boil the jelly for one minute. Remove the pot from the heat. Skim any foam from the top with a metal spoon.
- Ladle the jelly into clean jars. Jelly can be stored for six months in the fridge.
Video
Notes
Storage. If you’re planning to store it in the fridge, let the jars cool and then seal them tightly with lids. Refrigerated jelly lasts about six months.
Freezing. Let the jelly cool at room temperature for 30–60 minutes after ladling it into containers. Then refrigerate until fully chilled (a few hours), before transferring to the freezer. This prevents temperature shock and condensation inside the container. Choose freezer-safe sterile jars (like Ball® plastic freezer jars or glass jars with straight sides to prevent cracking). Leave at least ½ inch of headspace at the top of each container to allow for expansion as the jelly freezes. Store the jelly in the freezer for up to one year for best quality. Once thawed, the jelly should be used within three weeks and kept in the refrigerator.
Canning. For shelf-stable storage, process the jars using the water bath canning method. Fill the jars, leaving ¼-inch of headspace. Wipe the rims clean, add lids and bands, and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Once sealed, jars can be stored in a cool, dry, dark place for up to two years. Give the jars 24 hours to cool. Then check the seal by pressing the center of the lid. If it doesn’t give, your jars are sealed! For a complete tutorial, check out my post on water bath canning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Sugar: 13g