Plum preserves are good enough on their own, but with cinnamon? Oh, man! And we wanted a little something special for the next batch of plum preserves so I added mint leaves to the plums during the cooking process.
I really liked this recipe because it added the great minty flavor in with the sweet of the plums. It’s gorgeous, deep, and a fabulous mix of flavors. The cinnamon adds warmth. Here’s how I made it:
Ingredients for Mint Cinnamon Plum Preserves
- 10 Cups coarsely chopped plums
- 5 Cups sugar
- 1 1/2 Cups water
- 1/2 Cup lemon juice
- 3 sprigs of mint
- 1/2-1 tsp ground cinnamon
This is adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Canning recipe for Dawson Plum Jam. I doubled the recipe but not the sugar and added lemon juice and mint. (If you decrease the sugar you have to increase the pectin somewhere else – in this case, lemon juice.) This recipe should make 6 pints.
Directions for Mint Cinnamon Plum Preserves
1. Prepare your jars by sterilizing clean canning jars via boiling them for at least 10 minutes. Prepare the plums by cutting them into coarse chunks and removing the pits from them.
2. Combine plums, lemon juice, water, and sugar in a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved and add the sprigs of mint and cinnamon.
3. Cook at a low boil for 15-25 minutes or until mixture thickens nicely, skim away the foam. When it’s ready to gel up, remove it from the heat.
4. Scoop out the mint springs and then spoon the plum mixture into your prepared jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a clean rag and then place the lids.
Remember to just hand-tighten the rings, don’t tighten them too much.
5. Process 15 minutes in a water canner with enough water to cover the jar at least an inch over the jar. When they’ve been in the boiling water 15 minutes (remember – your time starts only after the water is boiling!) turn off the heat, remove the jars, and let them cool
I can’t wait to try this on some morning muffins or on top of some yummy waffles!
